An anonymous chain message circulated among hunters over the past days urges enthusiasts to attend a protest on Sunday taking with them weapons and petrol.
"A big motorcade and a spectacular protest next Sunday at 10 a.m. The migration is here and we cannot go out (hunting)," a sample SMS seen by The Times says, adding menacingly that "patience is running out and we're going to turn this country to dust. Bring with you iron, wood, stones, knives, petrol and matches. Send this message to all the enthusiasts you know... We'll meet at Ta' Qali at 10".
Despite the message coming across as a little over the top, both the government and the police are taking it seriously.
The Police Commissioner himself got involved, the general secretary of the hunters' federation, Lino Farrugia told at a press conference yesterday. The Police Commissioner called the federation's public relations officer, Joe Perici Calascione, asking about the protest.
The FKNK disassociated itself completely from the SMS, however. "At this stage a protest would be more harmful than it would be beneficial," he said, as Mr Perici Calascione added, in a subdued tone, "that the message may have been sent by some people having ulterior motives".
Police sources told The Times that different units within the corps had been alerted to the prospect of the protest. "There isn't just one unit responsible for this; a message went out to the different units to be on the alert for any strange activity."
Similarly, a high-ranking government source said the government was taking the matter very seriously. "You never know; many may have discarded the message as nonsensical but you may have a couple of hotheads that do take it serious and so are we."
Tension is running high within the hunters' community as they await the decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on the future of spring hunting, right at the peak of the season.
The European Commission is seeking a declaration from the courts that Malta is breaching EU law when it allows spring hunting. If its position is upheld, spring hunting will be over, particularly as the government already declared it would be respecting the ECJ's ruling.