The data used by the government to argue the case for spring hunting before the European Court of Justice was a grave underestimation of the birds shot in Malta, Birdlife said this afternoon.

It said in a statement: “Even the low figures presented by the government were enough for the ECJ to rule against spring hunting. To consider another spring hunting derogation due to the hunting lobby’s insistence on a future derogation would be a grave mistake," president Joseph Mangion said.

BirdLife Malta criticised the government for raising false hopes among the hunting community and provoking further expectations for spring hunting. The organisation also questioned the latest statement of the hunting lobby that a spring hunting season could be opened “in view of the new data” available from the federation.

The hunting lobby’s past statements clearly showed that the data provided through the carnet de chasse (data filed by the hunters based on the number of birds they shoot) was not reliable.

In an article published in The Times on November 25, 2005, entitled ‘Bird lovers, hunters agree figures quoted are 'on low side'’, FKNK secretary Lino Farrugia admitted that the Carnet de Chasse figures for shot and trapped birds were low.

The article was about the 2004 Carnet de Chasse Report, where it was stated that a total of 10,111 Turtle Doves were shot.

Despite the fact that the data presented to the Court by the Maltese government relied heavily on questionable data gathered from the carnet de chasse and the hunting lobby in Malta, these figures were enough for the Court to rule against Malta’s decision to open the spring hunting season.

“Any present or future government that risks Malta facing another case at the European Court of Justice on the issue of spring hunting, at the expense of Maltese tax payers and the country’s reputation, would have a lot to explain to the country. It is about time that Maltese hunters limit their hobby to the five months in autumn and winter when they can legally shoot 32 species,” Mr Mangion said.