I am not a hunter and I am indifferent as to whether spring hunting should be allowed or not; personally I would not be affected, not even if hunting were abolished altogether. However, I have a relative and friends who hunt and I have, to an extent, followed recent statements made and opinions expressed.

The Maltese hunters were promised that they will be allowed to hunt in spring even after Malta joined the EU.

This was communicated to them, amongst other things, by a letter sent to each hunter by the then prime minister, Eddie Fenech Adami. Many allege that Dr Fenech Adami, now President of Malta, misled. I note the statement by Simon Busuttil, who headed the Malta/EU Communications Centre prior to accession, confirming that spring hunting - for two species only - was negotiated and agreed to with the EU, but the EU now changed their mind. Worse then that, Arnold Cassola, an Alternattiva Demokratika candidate, insists that hefty fines are now in store for us.

Is all this possible? Is it possible that the EU changes its mind on something that was agreed to and to add insult to injury the Maltese society gets fined?

My personal opinion is that this is nothing more than a political scheme which will very much help Alternativa Demokratika to the detriment of the Nationalist Party - apart from the hunters of course. And the EU, knowingly or unknowingly, is contributing to all this. What is strange and very curious is that the Nationalist Party seems to be happily going along with all this.