Shout activists Moira Delia and Mark Sultana at yesterday’s press conference.

Thousands of voting documents are yet to be collected, Spring Hunting Out (Shout) spokesman Mark Sultana said yesterday, as he urged voters to pick up their documents and use them to overcome egoism in next month’s referendum.

Speaking at a Sliema activity that included live music and children’s activities, Mr Sultana said that, in the same way as in the previous two referendums on divorce and EU membership, the people’s will was supreme.

It was not an expression of intolerance, as some were saying.

“The time has come for the majority to speak up and not to be drowned out by the loud voices of a minority who, because they carry a shotgun, believe they can do whatever they please.”

When Malta joined the EU, he continued, there was no mention of an exception or a special arrangement for the island. Birds migrating towards the north of Europe could not be killed in spring as it was unsustainable.

The time has come for the majority to speak up

This referendum, which was requested by the Maltese, was a historic moment. While a number of voting documents had been collected, there remained thousands which were as yet uncollected.

Mr Sultana stressed that the referendum was a right which demonstrated that one could not continue to be blackmailed by a small number of people who lacked arguments and called intolerant those who wanted spring hunting to come to an end.

Shout’s 10 reasons to vote No

• Expressing your opinion is your right.

• Enjoying the countryside is a right not a privilege.

• Spring hunting for birds on their way to breed only occurs in Malta.

• During spring, public land is claimed by hunters.

• There is an alternative to spring hunting: hunters can hunt for five months or 153 days between September and January.

• Law enforcement through the spring hunting season costs the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of euros, while those who carry a shotgun do not pay a licence.

• European Court of Human Rights judge Giovanni Bonello said that hobbies cannot become the target of referendums.

• Large numbers of birds are hit by gunfire and allowed to die in agony in spring.

• The two political leaders Joseph Muscat and Simon Busuttil said they would allow voters to vote according to their conscience.

• If the referendum is lost, we would be turning the clock back.