The European Court of Justice in a decision announced yesterday, decided to uphold a request by the European Commission to ban hunting this year pending a final decision on the future of hunting in spring.

The court found, among other things, that the Maltese government had “failed to show that there is no satisfactory solution other than spring hunting for the species concerned.”

It also said that the Maltese government did not explain clearly why and with regard to what needs the numbers taken during the autumn hunting had to be considered insufficient.

The full text of the court decision can be found here.