Union Press editor-in-chief Sandro Mangion.

Voting No on April 11 will not only abolish spring hunting but also send out a clear message that intimidation was unacceptable, according to the Shout campaign.

“When we decide to vote no in the upcoming referendum we’ll be voting no for many reasons. We’ll be voting against spring hunting because it doesn’t make sense to kill birds in spring, because the countryside should be accessible to all and not just 10,000 hunters and also to send a clear message that the Maltese will not be intimidated,” spokesman Mark Sultana said in Sliema yesterday.

He added that the anti-hunting campaign was condemning a threat against Union Press editor-in-chief Sandro Mangion who declared he would be voting against spring hunting.

Mr Mangion yesterday reproduced part of a message online and said he did not wish to disclose the nature of the threat that read: “If the referendum about my family’s dearest hobby is unsuccessful, then you will be the first person who we...”

“He was threatened by people who keep showing their true colours. This is the kind of culture we have been facing for years from hunters,” Mr Sultana said.

Shout (Spring Hunting Out) took the anti-hunting campaign to St Anne Square to stress their call for all to vote in the referendum since local elections will not be held in Sliema on April 11.

The countryside should be accessible to all

“It is important that people vote in this referendum. Residents have been given this democratic right and they should use it,” Mr Sultana said.

He noted that the opposing camp in the referendum was trying to justify hunting by saying that Austria and Finland allowed hunting of some birds in spring.

These were “all lies”, Mr Sultana said, adding that while the Finnish court had recently banned hunting for a particular species, the country had received a warning from the European Commission about another derogation.

In Austria, only 75 hunters were allowed to shoot male birds of woodcock, he said.

Theatre artists to vote No

A group of 55 theatre artists have declared they will be voting against spring hunting on April 11.

They said they decided to vote No because birds needed the spring time to reach their breeding grounds. They were “beautiful flying free” and deserved to be alive and allowed to reproduce.

Malta, they said, was in a unique position in the Mediterranean Sea and the abolition of spring hunting would increase bird watching tourism.

Also, hunters had five months to practise their hobby and did not need another 21 days in April.

It was easier to target protected species in spring if hunting was allowed. Voting no would make monitoring of illegalities easier and Malta safer for all birds.

The artists noted that hunters “have been bullying the nation for too long a time and non-hunting citizens deserve the right to enjoy their countryside freely without danger, abuse or threats”.

“We reject the scaremongering that this referendum will affect the hobbies of others. We know this is a lie and will vote accordingly,” they said in a statement.