Birdwatchers have launched an online petition as part of an international campaign to put an end to illegal hunting in Malta.

The campaign, launched this week by BirdLife International, seeks to convince Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to properly enforce the EU Birds Directive.

"Illegal hunting in Malta is a serious concern for BirdLife International because of the scale of the activity and lack of efficient governmental action against it," said regional director Angelo Caserta.

BirdLife Malta president Joseph Mangion said: "Malta has shown it cannot meet the conditions of a derogation for another spring hunting season. Every time the government opens the season for limited hunting, it opens the door for hunters to kill protected species. Action has long been overdue. It is now time for politics to come in line with the law."

The organisation said there were about 12,000 hunters in Malta, the highest density per square kilometre in Europe. Moreover, they could legally hunt 32 species and, at five months, had the longest hunting season in Europe.

Due to its strategic location on the European-African migration route, 389 species have been recorded in Malta, of which 170 visit regularly, according to BirdLife.

The hunters' federation said in reaction that the government had an ethical obligation and moral duty to open a limited and strictly-supervised spring-hunting season this year.

Federation secretary Lino Farrugia said he trusted Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi would rise to the occasion and resist the "unjust pressure" from BirdLife.

The Maltese government had the backing of the European Court of Justice, which ruled that spring hunting was legal, the federation said.

"In the interest of justice and transparency, there is no doubt that Dr Gonzi will do the right thing for his people, especially the hunters, whose status as equal citizens within the EU is now restored and endorsed by none other than Europe's top judicial body," Mr Farrugia concluded.

The petition is available at www.birdlifemalta.org.