Updated: New spring hunting season obscene - FKNK

The spring hunting season as announced by the government this morning was unacceptable and obscene, the Hunters' Federation said.

FKNK secretary Lino Farrugia told a news conference this afternoon that with its announcement the government wanted to take the people for a ride.

But although it was time to take action, protests were not advisable at this point because of the tension.

The issue was not over, however, and the federation was seeking legal advice on what its next move should be.

PRO Joe Perici Calascione said hunters were being asked not to apply for the special licences. The federation, he said, was giving the government until April 15 to revise the season and in the meantime, the federation was considering legal procedures to safeguard its civil rights.

Mr Perici Calascione said that hunters did not want to create a precedent with such a ridiculous season as this could be used against them in future. Hunters, he said, wanted a proper season.

He said he could not understand why the Prime Minister had decided not to give hunters what the European Court of Justice had allowed them in the first place.

The PRO described the Prime Minister’s procrastination to decide as sadistic behaviour which had caused hunters hurt and psychological torment.

Mr Farrugia also Dr Gonzi might have, just as well, handed over the reins of government to BirdLife. He asked whether this was the same Dr Gonzi who had guaranteed the hunters’ right to continue hunting in spring before the last election.

The federation also argued that although the season was opened for a week, there was a Sunday when no hunting could take place and during the rest of the days, hunting could only take place until noon. This meant there were only three full days of hunting.

Mr Farrugia accused Dr Gonzi of not believing that it was possible to win the case in the ECJ and said he had only roped in the hunters to try and justify his actions later on.

The federation said that although the Ornis proposals for the hunting of quails and turtle doves were not acceptable, they were workable.

Ornis had proposed a season between April 10 and 30 with bag limits of 22,298 turtle doves and 10,837 quails.

FKNK had also originally suggested an open season between April 1 and May 10 but each hunter would have to choose 30 days when to hunt within that period.

See also:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100409/local/hunting-season-announced

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100409/local/hunters-see-new-spring-season-as-ridiculous