Hunting has been part of my life ever since I can remember. Weekends at school for me meant shooting with my father and grandfather and our family pet dog that lived to seeing me in my 20s.

My grandfather has long since passed away, leaving me with fond memories of how he managed to lure quail into our lands and how, being an excellent shot, each one the dog flushed was an additional one for our traditional meal of game at the end of the season.

Nowadays, until the recent suspension of spring hunting, I called for my aged father on every day of the season, and together with my teenage son and our dogs we participated in what for us was the height of our dreams, the annual hunt of turtle doves and quail in spring.

Our land is located in the north eastern part of Malta. This area and all those on the eastern part of Malta are not frequented by dove and quail in autumn; consequently I have never even considered hunting in autumn.

In fact hunting for me and my ancestors was always practised during the spring season.

After two years of anxiety awaiting the outcome of a court ruling that could have meant the end of our lifestyle, the court ruled that, as expected, considering the paucity of game and the unique conditions of Malta, hunting in spring could continue.

Our dreams of practising what we love doing most were soon shattered by the Prime Minister's proposals for a derogation. Our family outings out hunting were going to end up becoming a national lottery, whereby the few winners were to be awarded the right to hunt.

Gone are the days when together with my father and son we could enjoy hunting.

Gone are the friends we met annually when out shooting, the camaraderie of the shooting fraternity, an integral part of our social life vanished in one fell swoop thanks to the whims of an inconsiderate Prime Minister.

Hunting is not just the act of procuring game. For my family and many others it has always been an integral part of our life, a reason to enjoy our family and children in doing what we consider right and enjoyable.

How Malta's Prime Minister can consider the segregation of hunters and the banning of hunting on Sundays as a solution to our only chance to hunt is beyond the limits of anyone's intelligence. One would have thought that the reason why Malta was taken to the European Court was to limit hunting for the benefit of birds. What Lawrence Gonzi is now suggesting, expecting us to believe that it has the Commission's approval, ends up in being a totally antisocial measure that has no relation to bird protection but only a detrimental effect upon our lifestyles.

All I can conclude is that Dr Gonzi's actions show a true misunderstanding of hunting and hunters, a sector of society that according to his whims can be discriminated against at leisure. The fact that he ignored the recommendations of Malta's hunting experts on the Ornis committee that recognised the needs of Malta's hunters and decided to personally discuss and meddle in spring hunting matters during tacit meetings with the Commission, makes him personally responsible for these insensitive and vile anti-social measures that affect me, my family and all the thousands of families of Malta's hunting fraternity.

How can Dr Gonzi keep a smile on his face?