The European Court judgment on spring hunting in Malta has been described by an international lawyer who helped the hunters' federation as a case where the hunters had lost the battle but won the war.
Dr Jan Bouckaert made his comment when he addressed the FACE General Assembly last Friday in Brussels. FACE is a federation grouping hunters' associations throughout the EU.
He had been appointed by FACE to assist Maltese Attorney General Silvio Camilleri and the FKNK lawyer, Alex Perici Calascione, in the defence of the case before the European Court of Justice.
Dr Bouckaert said that he was sure that this victory was not just for Malta but for all other EU member states. The court, he explained, has issued a cautious judgement based on an in-depth interpretation to the letter of the Directive that identified individual and specific circumstances in the application of Art. 9, derogations, rather than a blanket or general outlook.
Dr Gilbert de Turckheim, the FACE President who was re-elected for another three-year term, congratulated the Maltese delegates for their determined persistence in 'transmitting the truth' that has led to this milestone judgement.
The Maltese delegates, headed by FKNK President Lino Farrugia, thanked FACE for its backing.
"Thursday's judgement amongst other points, established that in the particular case of Malta the hunting of turtle dove and the quail in autumn does not provide the satisfactory alternative to the limited hunting of the same species in spring. It also makes it clear that any derogation has to cater for a proportionality measure," the FKNK said.
It welcomed the government statement that it was studying the possibility of opening a limited hunting season for turtle dove and quail and hoped that it would be involved from day one in the study just as it was involved in the court defence case.
It also called on BirdLife Malta to respect the Court's verdict and to collaborate in a serious and constructive manner.
"Finally the FKNK firmly warns all hunters and trappers that, with immediate effect, it will adopt zero tolerance measure with any of its members who might persist with illegal hunting acts. The FKNK will not put up with anything that might again ever jeopardise the traditional Maltese socio-cultural passion of spring hunting," the federation said.