Hunters call for decision on spring hunting

The hunters' federation has appealed to the European Court to decide quickly on spring hunting this year, as well as for the future.

Federation secretary Lino Farrugia and PRO Joe Perici Calascione said tension was building up among hunters and trappers, who did not know what the future held for their pastime.

The European Court is currently considering a request by the European Commission to issue an interim measure to ban spring hunting this year pending a final decision on spring hunting. The government, assisted by lawyers from the federation, is arguing that spring hunting should be allowed in terms of what was agreed in Malta's EU accession talks.

The federation last week wrote to the prime minister urging him to allow spring hunting if the deliberations of the court were seen as taking an unreasonably long time.

Mr Farrugia said at a press conference this afternoon that the federation was not setting any deadlines and would not take any actions which could prejudice the case, but it was calling or a decision to be taken as quickly as possible.