Updated 11.30am with BirdLife reaction

The government should not spend another €6 million of taxpayers' money on a spring hunting referendum, the hunters' federation said on Thursday.

But in a reaction, BirdLife Malta said the Muscat administration is not interested in wildlife protection and it therefore has to take the issue of spring hunting to the next level.

The hunters were reacting to a press conference by BirdLife on Wednesday in which officials raised the prospect of calling a second referendum, coinciding with the European Parliament and local council elections next year.

Rather than holding a referendum on an issue the people voted about in 2015, the FKNK said the government should consider its own petition to the Maltese parliament for amendments to the referenda law.

Hunters collected more than 104,000 signatures in 2014, calling on MPs to make it illegal for minority rights to be abolished through a referendum. The petition aimed at blocking any future referenda that threaten their pastime.

READ: Plans to revive hunters' bid to block referenda on hunting  

The FKNK defended the Ornis Committee's decision to move back the dates of the spring hunting season for Quail. It said the proposal by the Environment Authority for a season between March 15 and April 4 did not make sense, because there was no quail migration at the time. All other birds were considered protected.

Furthermore, it asked whether BirdLife's apparent backing for the ERA proposal means they agreed with a spring hunting season.

A shot marsh harrier retrieved from Selmun.

The retention of traditional hunting was one of the special arrangements Malta had negotiated before joining the EU, the federation said, further confirmed by the European court and the spring hunting referendum.

The federation also revealed that in the near future it planned to present evidence to back a call for a lifting of the current moratorium on the hunting of turtle dove, showing that traditional hunting was sustainable.  

The federation hoped the government would accept the season dates recommended by the Ornis Committee. It warned it would not tolerate any abuse which could endanger the season and future seasons. 

Public consultation a democratic right - BLM

When the government chooses to ignore its own agency - the Environment and Resources Authority - and introduce measures that will destroy wildlife and nature then it is only fair that an NGO should think of the next level, BirdLife said.

Public consultation through a referendum is a democratic right, the NGO said in a reaction.

"The attempt to stifle this democratic tool is perhaps a small reflection of why in 2018 we still uphold practices which are banned from other modern societies. No measure of intimidation including the spate in social media attacks on BirdLife Malta officials will stop BirdLife Malta from pointing out that the Muscat administration is not interested in wildlife protection."

BLM added that the 2015 hunting referendum took place during the local council elections which is a cost incurred naturally in the country's democratic process.

Furthermore, the Finance Minister had then stated that the cost for the referendum was €4.6 million and not €6 million as quoted by the hunters’ representation.

"BirdLife Malta contends that the figure of €4.6 million is inflated but insists that come what may democracy does not have a price tag."

Should another spring hunting referendum be held? Vote in our poll question section.