Hunting licences: hunters stay away from post offices

All was quiet at post offices this morning, as the four-day period during which hunters may apply for a special licence for spring hunting, opened.

The hunters' federation (FKNK) has urged hunters not to apply for the licence and to boycott the hunting season, saying the one week allowed for hunting, at the end of this month, was obscene and unacceptable.

Hunters appeared to be obeying the directive this morning.

Hunters' federation PRO Joe Perici Calascione said on Friday that the hunters were being asked by the FKNK not to apply for the special licences. The federation, he said, was giving the government until Wednesday to revise the season and in the meantime, the federation was considering legal proceedings to safeguard its civil rights.

Mr Perici Calascione said that hunters did not want to create a precedent with such a ridiculous season as this could be used against them in future. Hunters, he said, wanted a proper season.

The FKNK had suggested an open season between April 1 and May 10 while the Ornis Committee proposed a season between April 10 and 30 with bag limits of 22,298 turtle doves and 10,837 quails.

The government last Friday said the hunting season was being limited to a week and would be open only to 2,500 hunters who would need to apply, and pay for a special licence. They could not catch more than two birds in a day and not more than three in the season.

Applications are being received at Maltapost branch offices. Should the number of applications received exceed this amount, there will be a computerised random selection process.