The anti-spring hunting coalition yesterday recalled a brutal attack in Dingli in 2010 when hunters threw two volunteers to the ground and beat them up.

“While this is an extreme case, many of these people here today have their own experiences of intimidation to share,” spring hunting out campaign spokesman Mark Sultana said.

Everyone should have the right to enjoy the countryside in spring without fear or intimidation, he told a family hike in Dingli.

“On public holidays like today, many people take to the countryside with their family and friends. However, during a spring hunting season, our countryside is occupied by hunters on public holidays, even on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.”

Mr Sultana said many people trying to enjoy the countryside in public areas had been victims of intimidation and harassment from unruly hunters.

Walkers often found public paths illegally blocked by ‘RTO’ signs, and the ground littered with spent shotgun cartridges, Mr Sultana added.

Meanwhile, the pro-spring hunting lobby, Iva (yes) said its campaigners had donated blood.

In a statement, Iva spokeswoman Sylvana Zarb Darmanin said the spring season lasted longer than the 20-day hunting season and the Maltese could enjoy the countryside in the weeks before and after the season, without any hunting taking place.