Two hunter groups take aim at legal notice

Two hunters’ organisations are calling on the government to revoke a legal notice allowing spring hunting because they disagree with the conditions imposed.

The legal notice, which the government is discussing with the European Commission, speaks about a maximum 30-day season and the possibility to shoot 25,000 birds in spring.

The hunters’ federation – FKNK and the St Hubert Hunters want a fixed 30-day season, among other things. They are arguing the legal notice could backfire because it essentially allowed a season of fewer than 30 days, for example.

They pointed out that, since the EU Birds Directive did not allow spring hunting, except in specific circumstances, Malta still had to apply for a derogation each year. Therefore, the legal notice “restricts any government from freely applying a derogation based on scientific and technical findings applicable to a specific year but not necessarily to all years”.

The two organisations expressed their concerns in an open letter to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat. They argued the enabling framework legislation enacted on April 9 last year should be revoked.

Last year, despite the legal notice, the government had opened a very limited spring hunting season of six half-days with a bag quota of 7,500 birds.

The maximum number of hunters allowed to shoot was capped at 2,500.

Hunters had slammed the decision and boycotted the hunting season. The government had argued the limited season was intended not to upset the applecart until it got the go-ahead from Brussels for a more extensive season.

In their open letter, the hunters pointed out the legal notice fell short for various reasons. For example, it used “absolutely unscientific methods” to calculate “bird numbers” that can be hunted. It also made no allowance to the different timings in the migration pattern of the two species to be hunted.

The organisations insisted they should be consulted on such matters. The federation drew up a draft legal notice that included its proposals. It wants a fixed 30-day season in spring with hunting allowed for the whole day, as opposed to a noon cut-off time, as suggested in the legal notice.

It is also calling for a higher quota for shot birds and the permission to trap turtle dove and quail. Under the proposals, all registered hunters will be allowed to hunt.

The proposals were attached to the open letter and were also passed on to the Ornis committee that offers consultation to the government on spring hunting.