Spring hunting is not a fundamental right and threatens sustainability, says the University Students’ Council.

The council (KSU) said a legal hobby could not continue to outweigh the demands of sustainability and called for action “to further the appreciation and safeguard the conservation of the species”.

It said the killing of birds returning to mainland Europe from Africa to lay eggs continued to endanger the species’ survival. In fact, it added, turtle dove numbers across Europe had declined considerably.

“While not necessarily a corollary, several entities are using spring hunting as a cover for the illegal killing of protected species,” the students’ council said.

The KSU’s position was voted for by a majority of student organisations last month. The vote came after a debate between political party representatives, BirdLife Malta and Saint Hubert Hunters last October, and the organisation of an open forum in February for all students to voice their opinion.

A KSU poll found a majority of 84 per cent students opposed to spring hunting. The council also expressed concern that the spring hunting referendum question could prove ambiguous to the public and stressed the implications of the question should be clear to everyone.

“The ongoing campaign is one dominated by incorrect facts, half truths and quoting out of context. The council urges the public to evaluate authoritative reports and statistics,” it said.