Saturday’s referendum is an opportunity for people to make history and “consign spring hunting to the history books”, according to the No campaign.

Speaking outside the Naxxar counting hall, Shout spokesman Mark Sultana said voters could “play a part in forging a better future for nature, for our countryside and for our future generations. The referendum is a democratic process which reflects the wish of thepeople. This is the first time that voters of different political beliefs have come together and joined forces to make a change.”

Moira Delia said a No vote would bring an end to hunters’ bullying and backroom deals for votes. “This referendum is democracy in action; they speak with their weapons, we speak with our vote,” she said.

Malta was the only European country to kill turtle doves and quail birds in spring and the only Mediterranean country where turtle dove did not breed, Ms Delia said.

The No campaign said that about 24,000 voting documents remained uncollected and called on those who had not yet done so to collect their vote from the Naxxar counting hall before tomorrow evening.

Meanwhile, Alternattiva Demokratika Żgħażagħ said in a statement spring hunting affected not only the two huntable species but several others that migrated over Malta in spring.

This is the first time that voters of different political beliefs have come together

“Other bird species are in fact not breeding in Malta simply because they are either being killed or because they are scared away by the continuous shooting,” the youth organisation said.

It pointed out that when spring hunting was banned in 2008 and 2009, several birds started to breed again, including the common cuckoo and common and pallid swifts.

“Malta could host many more breeding birds were it not for the unsustainable spring hunting season.

“Typical Mediterranean birds, such as the bee-eater, would definitely breed if we allowed them to do so,” AD’s youth section said.