No rush for spring hunting

I fully understand the anxiety within the hunting fraternity to get to know whether spring hunting will ever open and what will be the restrictions tied to the actual practice of hunting. It is very easy to say the ball is in the government's court.

The government has a responsibility and one false move may lead to another long court procedure.

First and foremost, I sincerely believe that all those who have expressed themselves publicly, whether individuals or NGOs, should publicly apologise to the government for their lack of confidence in the same government in handling the spring hunting issue.

The government was consistent all the way with its belief and, consequently, left the spring season closed in order not to jeopardise the final judgment.

Then, the judgment will first have to be put on the Ornis committee agenda for discussion and eventually recommendations will be made to the government.

I understand that the Attorney General will also have his say to interpreting and formulating the appropriate way forward to present a modus operandi under the derogation for approval. I personally do not think that BirdLife Malta has any influence in the matter.

Any lobbying is superfluous once there is a judgment by the European Court of Justice. It is now a matter of how the government will present a document that will eventually reduce the gap of the number of birds (quails and turtle doves) caught in spring in relation to the number of birds caught in autumn.

The most important for us hunters at present is that each and every hunter should contribute to enforcement within the parameters of the law with regard to any infringements that take place within their location. Let the CABS watchers come, let the police make their rounds, let BirdLife and FKNK take part in curbing illegal hunting, for it is then, and only then, we may practise our sports.

Maybe BirdLife is against spring hunting because of breeding but this excuse has been shot down by the judgment confirming that the two species are not endangered. I think that BirdLife is more preoccupied with the illegal part of spring hunting. An example of this is the recent declaration by Andrè Raine that trapping of the four species that can be hunted should stop because one trapper was caught illegally trapping other finches. This has to stop.

We have to contribute for these illegalities to stop, otherwise we all stand to lose.

Finally, I sincerely hope that the government will take on board the same personnel involved in the defence of spring hunting to contribute in the formulation of the system to be adopted under the derogation, a derogation the whole of Europe will eventually make use of if the same circumstances apply.