On October 20 and 21 we decided to spend a peaceful and relaxing wekend in San Lawrenz. Our residence faces a magnificent swathe of agricultural land between San Lawrenz and Birbuba Road, Gharb.

Early in the morning on Saturday when the first rays of the sun had not yet appeared on the horizon synchronised rattling of quick firing hunters’ guns filled the air and continued uninterruptedly during late afternoon before dusk set in.

A similar occurrence, but much earlier in the morning, took place on Sunday. A horrendous slaughter and the firing of guns proceeded uninterruptedly throughout the whole day and only stopped in the early evening. The law allows “hunting to be carried out from two hours before dawn until two hours after sunset on Mondays to Saturdays”. This, it is presumed, is allowed in the countryside but is it really allowed in a residential area?

Why are the authorities closing a blind eye to the goings-on in San Lawrenz/Gharb? Pellets rain down continually on residential roads and even on a small public playground frequented by neighbourhood children. This is a residential area and not a remote place in the countryside.

And what about the 40ft container installed as a hunters’ cabin in the middle of an agricultural area with residential roads less than 200m away? Where is the Mepa permit for this? Police cars pass by frequently and it is impossible for them not to have noticed.

What about the government’s plans for Eco-Gozo?