Hunters want season open today

Hunters yesterday threatened to take "action" to defend what they claim is their right to hunt in spring if the government does not open the hunting season today to an unrestricted number of them and adopt the Ornis Committee's proposed bag limit of 33,000 birds.

Officials from the hunting federation, FKNK, issued the ultimatum when addressing a press conference on the steps of the Office of the Prime Minister at Auberge de Castille, Valletta. They again accused the Prime Minister of intransigence.

FKNK public relations officer Joe Perici Calascione said the federation was weighing all its legal options to safeguard hunters' right to have a "decent" spring hunting season and did not exclude street protests.

In a counter-statement, government reiterated its stand that a shortened season this year was intended to protect hunters' rights until an agreement was reached with the EU Commission on a longer season.

The government did not want taxpayers' money to go to waste by incurring fines if the Commission took court action against Malta over spring hunting, the statement said.

The officials delivered a letter to the Office of the Prime Minister along with 1,251 unfilled applications for the special licences that have been returned by hunters. The official season starts on Saturday.

"For this year only and without prejudice to our cause, we want the hunting season to open immediately for all hunters.

We also want the government to take up the Ornis Committee's proposal on the number of birds we would be able to hunt," said Mr Perici Calascione, without giving details of the actions the federation might take if government ignores their request.

Hunters have been scathing about the regulations which permit a mere 2,500 hunters to hunt for just six days. It has described this as "ridiculous", insisting it could set a dangerous precedent and jeopardise a longer season next year.

When asked about the shots fired on a car used by BirdLife Malta volunteers in Manikata on Saturday, Mr Perici Calascione condemned the violence but insisted it was up to the police to investigate.

He also reprimanded BirdLife volunteers for provoking hunters.

FKNK secretary Lino Farrugia alleged that BirdLife volunteers on Sunday wanted to enter private land belonging to him and Mr Perici Calascione in Dingli and were stopped from doing so by people who happened to be on site.

Mr Farrugia criticised the Administrative Law Enforcement for directing him to the Rabat police station when he filed a report on the matter. The ALE, he said, would have acted differently had the report been filed by BirdLife.

When questioned about BirdLife's allegations that two of its volunteers were thrown to the ground and beaten in another incident in Dingli, Mr Farrugia insisted this was a similar case of trespassing.

The FKNK reiterated its directive to hunters not to pay the fee for the special licence to hunt in spring and warned they would name and shame those who paid.

The directive by four hunting organisations to hunters not to apply for the 2,500 special licences for spring hunting has been largely adhered to.

"About 50 have applied and we will name and shame them if they pay the fee," Mr Farrugia warned again, insisting hunters wanted the government to give them their dues after the European Court of Justice ruled that autumn was not a satisfactory alternative to spring for the hunting of quail and turtle dove.