Public land will be returned to the people and no longer used as “a cemetery for protected birds” if the contentious spring hunting season is outlawed, according to the people behind the vote to end it.

Addressing a press conference at the Miżieb woodlands yesterday, anti-spring-hunting campaign spokesman Mark Sultana said the gorgeous stretch of countryside near Mellieħa had been turned into a cemetery for protected birds.

These, he said, were continually being shot by hunters who used public land as their private hunting grounds, banishing picnickers, cyclists, joggers and anyone else who wanted to enjoy the space.

“Over the years, we have found several protected birds shot dead in these woodlands. From herons to birds of prey, we have found them dead and buried or hidden under piles of rocks.

“Stopping spring hunting will stop this place being a cemetery and give it back to the people,” Mr Sultana said, adding there was a direct correlation between the opening of the season and the shooting of protected birds.

The hunting lobby was given access to hunt in parts of the woodlands in the run-up to the 1986 general election and have occupied them since, despite there being no formal agreement or management in place, he noted.

In 2009, volunteers discovered the carcasses of over 200 protected birds in Miżieb; many had been stuffed into crevices or stashed in barrels. More recently, volunteers found a bag containing the skeletons of six herons.

Meanwhile, athlete Fabio Spiteri urged athletes who trained in outdoor spaces to rally behind the anti-spring-hunting campaign if they wanted to enjoy the countryside free from intimidation.

As someone who often enjoys a jog or bike ride in the Maltese countryside, Mr Spiteri said that although he loved to run and cycle in the Miżieb area, he generally avoided it during the spring hunting season.

“Miżieb should be a safe haven for migrating birds as well as for anyone who wants to enjoy the countryside when nature is in full bloom,” he said.