Hunting has become a national issue. Too many vested interests on a nationwide scale have become involved. Health is not the least factor. The tons of lead deposited on Maltese soil every year have to go somewhere and they do. They land in our bodies having entered the water and nutrition cycle.

The non-hunter has finally woken up to the awareness that even s/he has a right to enjoy birds alive and has decided that things must change; that the egoism of simply killing this fundamental human right is unacceptable.

Tourism must be suffering heavily too. The impact of scathing criticism of the islands on social media should not be underestimated. Times have changed. What happens in Malta does not stay within its confines any longer. Hunters too have to understand this change.

Journalists in the UK and Germany in particular are rampant on the matter. The damage done is immeasurable. This is a blow below the belt for the hard-working hotel and catering industry, which struggles against the toughest competition to win over the tourist.

We must not underestimate the fact that the hotel industry is the largest bread giver to the Maltese employee.

The Government must understand that there is no way of avoiding an urgent referendum on the matter. It concerns us all and the opinion of the whole Maltese population must be sounded. And when this decision is taken, let it please be complete and final, no half-measures. No talk of spring hunting, please. The referendum must include all – I repeat all – hunting so that this scourge is eradicated once and for all.