Legal notice paves the way for Spring hunting
Despite the controversy and objections to opening spring hunting in Malta, the Prime Minister has decided to go along with introducing Spring hunting for Turtle doves and Quail
The Government last Friday issued a legal notice which paves the way for the opening of Spring hunting for two hunting game species, Turtle dove and Quail. This legal notice states "… the Minister shall not open the spring hunting season when the hunting for the two species concerned during the previous autumn hunting season may be considered as having constituted a satisfactory solution in terms of Article 9(1) of Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds, and taking into consideration the thresholds established in Annex I."
The wording of the legal notice was carried in close consultation with Richard Cachia Caruana, the permanent representative in Brussels and keen to offer a solution for hunting in Malta. Apart from being the permanent representative he is also central to the political strategy of the Nationalist party.
Spring hunting is hotly contested by Birdlife Malta and international conservation organisations because of indiscriminate hunting of protected species. Yet both political parties in Malta have been reluctant to ban spring hunting despite repeated calls to control indiscriminate hunting.
