The Coalition for the Abolition of Spring Hunting said this afternoon that plans by the hunters' federation (FKNK) to launch a petition to Parliament to amend the Referendum Act to protect minority rights were profoundly undemocratic and unethical.

Coalition spokesperson Christian Debono said: “Claiming that hunters deserve protection from the wishes of voters because they are a minority group is a blatant attempt to twist the meaning of minority rights. Such rights apply to people who might be persecuted because of their religion, ethnicity or their sexual orientation. Shooting birds for fun does not qualify for such protection and no one should be convinced by this smokescreen.”

Rodolfo Ragonesi, another coalition spokesman, said the democratic process was the basis of society and stretched much further than any particular issue. "It is shameful that we see an attempt by one lobby to curtail the voters' power to further their limited, narrow, selfish aims. Shooting birds on their way to breed has absolutely nothing to do with minority rights. If killing is ever deemed to be a right, it would be an atrocious perversion of justice”.

The coalition also reaffirmed its efforts to proceed with its referendum petition.