Hunters fear that abolishing spring hunting will push the pastime underground, making it difficult for the authorities to control.
Lino Farrugia, chief executive of the hunting federation FKNK, believes law-abiding hunters who today are vigilant in reporting illegal behaviour will lose interest if spring hunting is abolished.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Malta will not be better off without a spring hunting season as he reiterated his support for the practice to continue under heavy enforcement.
The interests of nature conservation will be put ahead of satisfying the unreasonable demands of hunting lobby
“What the Prime Minister probably had in mind is that abolishing the spring hunting season will push the pastime underground taking it outside the control of everyone, including law-abiding hunters who today have an interest in reporting those who break the law,” Mr Farrugia said.
Hunters have just come out of a strictly controlled season with enforcement conducted by various police sections, the army, FKNK marshals and foreign journalists, he added. “It almost felt like a police State.”
But there are a myriad of reasons why abolishing spring hunting will bring “many benefits” to the island, according to the Coalition Against Spring Hunting. The coalition has presented the Electoral Commission with a formal petition asking to hold an abrogative referendum to abolish the legal notice that makes spring hunting possible.
Disagreeing with the Prime Minister’s assessment, a spokesman for the coalition said no spring hunting will mean the countryside will be accessible for people and visitors to enjoy.
“This will improve the health and well-being of Maltese people and encourage lucrative eco-tourism.”
From an ecological aspect, the ban will encourage some of the birds that are killed by hunters to be able to nest and breed in Malta once again, he added.
“The abolition of spring hunting will also improve Malta’s reputation within the EU, showing that it puts the interests of nature conservation ahead of satisfying the unreasonable demands of the hunting lobby,” the spokesman said.
But as the Electoral Commission vets more than 40,000 signatures collected by the coalition, the first in a series of legal steps that will lead to the vote, hunters are miffed by the Nationalist Party’s stand.
Mr Farrugia spoke of his surprise at Opposition leader Simon Busuttil’s declaration that the spring hunting issue should not be politicised.
Dr Busuttil said that once the 40,000 signatures were collected the matter was taken out of politicians’ hands and people will decide in a referendum.
“It seems like Dr Busuttil, who says that he worked tirelessly to ensure hunters continue enjoying their pastime, has shirked his responsibility as an MP elected to represent the interests of all electors,” Mr Farrugia said.
Hunters are collecting a petition asking MPs to change the law so that “minority rights” could not be abolished by a referendum.
Mr Farrugia said the FKNK expected both political parties in Parliament to back their petition because it went beyond hunting. The petition is not against the referendum law introduced by the PN, he insisted.
“We are saying that referendums should be used to decide national issues like divorce and EU membership and not to deny the minority a right it enjoys,” Mr Farrugia said.
But the coalition believes the people should have their say on the issue and the process should be allowed to take its course without political interference.