Hunters have given the Prime Minister until tomorrow to immediately open the spring hunting season for quail and turtle dove until the end of the month.

They are calling for bag limits proposed by the Ornis Committee and the right for all hunters to be able to shoot.

In a press conference on the steps of Castille, the PRO of the Hunting and Trapping Federation (FKNK) Joe Perici Calascione accused Lawrence Gonzi of intransigence and insisted hunters will not accept the government’s ridiculous proposal.

He said the federation was still weighing all legal options and did not exclude protests if Dr Gonzi did not accede to their request.

When asked about the shots that were fired at a car used by BirdLife Malta volunteers in Manikata on Sunday, Mr Perici Calascione condemned the violence but insisted it was up to the police to investigate.

He also reprimanded BirdLife volunteers for provoking hunters.

Secretary Lino Farrugia quoted a case of BirdLife volunteers who on Sunday wanted to enter private land belonging to him and Mr Perici Calascione and were stopped from doing so by people who happened to be on site.

He criticised the Administrative Law Enforcement for directing him to the Rabat police station when he filed a report on the matter.

The ALE, he said, would have acted differently had the report been filed by BirdLife.

The FKNK reiterated its directive to hunters not to pay the fee for the special licence to hunt in spring and warned they would name and shame those who would paid this licence.