With regard to the alliance between the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) and FKNK to retain spring hunting in Malta (The Sunday Times, January 20), FACE has failed in its efforts to retain spring hunting in any of the other EU member states, so seeks now to use Malta as a lever to bring back the annual carnage to all of them.

If this precedent is set, they know that the EU will have little or no choice but to grant it to everyone. The excuse that Malta is a small country will count for little among those countries aggrieved that they have not been granted this special privilege. It will count for even less in a court of law where principle and precedent are so important.

A point worth noting is that small as it may be, Malta, in proportion to its area, has more hunters than any other country in Europe.