Speaking at a press conference, Mr Farrugia said that if he is elected, he will donate half his annual salary as an MEP to the Association of Hunters and Trappers, who have supported his initiative from the very beginning.

Mr Farrugia said hunters and trappers are usually associated with weapons and Maltese hunters and trappers have a very important weapon which they should use in Saturday’s election: their vote. They will be voting for their future and the future of their children and whether these will be able to enjoy the traditional pastimes of hunting and trapping as much as they have done over the years.

Also present at yesterday’s conference was Massimo Marracci, a representative of FACE, the federation representing several hunting and trapping associations in all 25 European Union member states. Dr Marracci spoke of how his federation had always had a vision for Europe, how it can protect and promote hunting and trapping in EU member states and how it can contribute towards promoting the cultures of the countries it represents.

In answer to a question, Mr Farrugia said FACE had never fielded its own contestants for the EP election and never had any of its representatives elected at the EP.

Replying to a question from The Malta Independent, Mr Farrugia said the feedback he had received, especially from those who are not hunters and trappers, had been positive and this filled him with courage.