Weeks before the spring hunting referendum, I was invited to participate, as a former member of the Ornis committee, in one of the political party TV series together with Rudolph Ragonesi. Ragonesi was one of the leading promoters to initiate the collection of signatures to hold the referendum to abolish spring hunting.

In his reasoning, Ragonesi argued that the ruling of the European Court of Justice giving Malta the exceptional right to apply a derogation on spring hunting was being misinterpreted. He went on to state that the issue was like a time bomb ready to explode. He said it was a matter of when but that it would eventually explode. He asked me whether the hunters were ready to make good for the hefty fines imposed by the EU when the time bomb hits our island.

This time bomb was only in his imagination because the case is totally closed and the EU plugged the fuse of the said time bomb: case dismissed.

The referendum was held and the result is public, confirming that spring hunting is here to stay with the blessing of the EU.

Now that we know that this referendum cost €6 million, my question to Ragonesi is: who is going to foot the bill?

I believe that the referendum law has to be amended to lay down that anyone initiating the collection of signatures for any form of referendum should deposit a substantial sum to cover the expenses and if the referendum is lost this deposit will be forfeited.