Pro-spring hunting spokeswoman Kathleen Grima yesterday condemned the hunters who allegedly threatened a newspaper editor, saying she too had been on the receiving end of unsavoury messages for her stand.

“Threats are always wrong. I can understand how he must feel, as I myself have received messages of this nature. He is not alone,” she said.

She was reacting to news reports that Sandro Mangion, editor-in-chief of Union Press – publishers of l-Orizzont and it-Torċa – has received a violent threat after he declared he would vote No in the spring hunting referendum.

Dr Grima said she had received SMSs and even messages on social media insulting her for favouring the retention of spring hunting.

She was not alone either, as other members of the pro hunting lobby had also received insulting messages, she said.

A police report had been filed against one person who, it is alleged, repeatedly harassed one young member of the lobby group.

Messages sent to the pro-hunting campaigner, and seen by this newspaper, hurled abuse and profanities at her, even singling out her baby boy.

One message said: “If I had a gun I would kill all of you... If you like to kill so much just kill yourselves and do us all a favour.”

Dr Grima said other youths had also been harassed while handing out fliers in Gozo.

She said the lobby group had not come forward with these issues before because they did not want the hunting referendum campaign to be marred by the actions of a few wrongdoers.

Dr Grima was addressing a press conference in Buskett, where she said that if spring hunting was banned because of illegalities, it would not be long before the same people who instigated the upcoming referendum set their sights on the autumn season.

“We want to be upfront about the illegalities that occur. We have no respect for those that still do not want to accept that the days of free for all are long gone. But collective punishment of all hunters is not the answer,” she said.

Dr Grima also referred to a point raised by anti spring hunting campaigner Moira Delia during a televised debate on Wednesday.

Ms Delia had said the costs of policing the spring hunting season far outweighed the cost of holding a referendum. To put things into perspective the last referendum on divorce cost around €4 million.

Dr Grima, however, said the enforcement and studies carried out related to hunting and trapping were financed by the licence fees paid by hunters.