The hunters’ federation this afternoon again called on hunters to fully observe the law when the spring hunting season opens on April 13.

“It can be frustrating, the bag limits are far too small, but this is a test for us,” federation secretary Lino Farrugia told a press conference.

He said he could understand the frustration of hunters, who had not had a spring season for three years.

The law provides that the hunters may only shoot one bird – quail or turtle dove – per day, and not more than four in the three-week spring hunting season.

Any birds caught must immediately be reported on SMS.

Mr Farrugia said the system was in some cases difficult and impractical to follow and enforce, especially in areas which did not have proper mobile phone coverage, or where elderly hunters did not know how to send SMSs.

He said talks had been held with the police on how such hunters may ask others to send an SMS for them.

There could be cases, Mr Farrugia said, where hunters did not see a bird for a week and then saw several at one time but they could not, according to law, shoot at more than one.

However, he said, the hunters needed to control their frustration, not least because someone might have drawn up the rules in this way so that the season could be closed early if there was abuse.

“Observing the law would place us in a stronger position to negotiate a better derogation,” Mr Farrugia said.

He also complained that although the government had spoken about the recruitment of hunting marshals, the federation had not been informed how and who would be appointed.

A total of 5,610 hunters have applied for the special spring hunting licence. The national bag is for a total of 9,000 turtle doves and 2,500 quails for this season.

Mr Farrugia said such limits were subjective and the issue needed to be revisited on the basis of scientific data.

Mr Farrugia also complained that no provision had been made to allow trapping.