The recommendation of the Ornis committee to open this year’s spring hunting season is “indecent” and “undemocratic”, according to the No campaign.
The Ornis committee voted on Tuesday in favour of a spring hunting season between April 12 and 30, the same as last year, pending the result of the April 11 referendum.
Shout campaign ambassadors Moira Delia and Saviour Balzan nailed a symbolic “notification of an indecent proposal” notice to the wall of the planning authority’s building in Marsa, where the Ornis meeting took place.
The notice – “on behalf of those who continue to flout the law and believe that they have the privilege to shoot down birds on their way to their breeding grounds” – claims the committee’s decision was made on the basis of an incorrect interpretation of the facts.
Mr Balzan said the decision was “indecent” in light of scientific evidence in the form of reports by two government bodies that showed there were viable alternatives to the spring hunting season.
“The Ornis committee is dominated by hunting sympathisers and it is no surprise that, despite overwhelming evidence presented to them that spring hunting should not be allowed in Malta, they approved a spring hunting season,” said Mr Balzan.
“The decision was also taken despite a referendum taking place on spring hunting on April 11. This decision shows once again how the hunting lobby has bullied Maltese institutions over the years to get their way.” Ms Delia said permission for a spring hunting season could only be granted by the people on April 11.
“The referendum is a democratic process where the people can decide about the future of spring hunting in Malta,” she said.
“It is profoundly undemocratic that the Ornis committee has tried to pre-empt the decision that will be made by Maltese voters.”
The Yes campaign welcomed the committee’s decision, which, it said, was based on reports that “classified both species conservation trends as stable”.
It also claimed the reports actually showed that the average daily migration of turtle dove was 10 times lower in autumn than spring and 2.6 times lower for quail, proving that the spring season was necessary.