The Coalition Against Spring Hunting was set up in 2013. It has spent the last two years gathering signatures for a petition that led to the upcoming referendum. The coalition has been very much in the news lately but many people tend to think that it is run entirely by Birdlife. So who is behind Cash? "The coalition is made up of 14 environmental groups. It was initially set up as an initiative by Alternattiva Demokratika but the numbers swelled. In reality, Cash is a nice group of people who really care about the environment, says Romina Tolu, Cash campaign co-ordinator.

The coalition launched its referendum campaign on Saturday. Its aim is to empower people to join its ranks to put a stop to "unsustainable spring hunting." Ms Tolu says the main reason behind all of this is the birds; spring hunting is destructive to migratory birds that fly over Malta on their way to their breeding grounds.

So far, the end result is far from certain and many people on the street are declining to declare how they will vote. Many are insisting, when asked for TV news vox-pops, that they are not in the least interested about the subject. Romina, however, thinks that people react differently when faced by a news camera on the street than they do on online polls, where they can express themselves with relative anonymity.

"We have seen that many people had already started their own online 'No vote' campaigns before the launch of our official campaign. People on the street might shy away from the subject but when it comes to online polls , it is a different story."

Disinterested voters will change their mind

It also seems that, because our campaign has not been launched yet (the interview was conducted on Thursday), many people out there are still not well-informed about the referendum and the subject at hand. "This is definitely a factor that is contributing to people's response. However, more people will become interested once the campaign starts. On the other hand, the fact that more than 40,000 people signed our petition, which led to the referendum, means that this is an important subject that people want to tackle."

So what kind of campaign will it be? "We will be focusing both on traditional and social media. We want to empower people to join us and to show that they are doing so. This can be done, for example, through social media initiatives like 'selfie' campaigns. A number of personalities who are known for their stance against spring hunting will also be joining us. We will have three main spokespersons - Moira Delia, Saviour Balzan and Joseph Mangion - who will be the face of the campaign."

By Maltese people for Maltese people

Ms Tolu says this will be a campaign by Maltese people for Maltese people. "We are all Maltese, starting from Carmel Cacopardo of AD, to Astrid Vella of Flimkien ghal Ambjent Aħjar, to Simone Mizzi of Din l-Art Ħelwa. Maltese people signed the petition and Maltese people are funding our campaign, which relies solely on donations."

Throughout the campaign, the coalition will be informing people about the problems caused by hunting on breeding birds. "We will be explaining that spring hunting is not sustainable. The number of birds shot down over Malta during spring is definitely affecting bird populations. Hunters have all of autumn to hunt in. The autumn hunting season can be sustainable if properly regulated and we have no quarrel with that issue. Autumn hunting is allowed by the EU but spring hunting is not."

Admitting that some members of the public might be more interested in having free and safe access to the countryside, or ridding themselves of "arrogant hunters" rather than dwindling bird populations, the campaign co-ordinator says these issues will also be tackled during the campaign. "Spring is the best time for families to enjoy our countryside but many do not feel comfortable wandering out into the fields with lead flying overhead."

Asked if there would be a repetition of the divorce campaign, with multiple groups campaigning for both the 'Yes' and 'No' votes and having their own TV spots and billboards, Ms Tolu says the coalition will be one, united front. "We do not know if the hunters' groups will tackle their campaign together or separately but, from our end, it will be one, solid voice."

Not concerned by hunters' boycott

Many believe that the Coalition Against Spring Hunting will achieve a solid victory over the hunters. Many believe otherwise. During the past few weeks, it was suggested that the hunters have two options. Option One would be to convince as many people as possible to vote to retain spring hunting. Option two would be a total boycott by both their own members and sympathising members of the public, thus denying the necessary 50% quorum. If less than half of the registered electorate fails to vote, the referendum would be invalid. The coalition has been aware of this issue since its early days.

"We have always known about the need to reach a quorum but the turnout in Maltese elections is always high. In 2012, when half of Malta voted for Local Councils only, the quorum was still reached (the turnout was a record low - 59%). Contrary to what some politicians think, people are not annoyed by elections and the Maltese are willing to make their voices heard on important issues."

Ms Tolu says people were already speaking about the possibility of a boycott before the referendum was confirmed but she says, assertively, that boycotts in the past did not work.

Referendum and politics do not mix

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil have both announced that they will be voting in favour of spring hunting. Having political leaders openly declaring their voting intentions could inarguably influence the vote of some members of the public. "We have long known the PM's position. The decision to apply the derogation showed that he is in favour of spring hunting. Political parties should not get involved in this issue. This is a people's referendum. It is not a consultative referendum like the ones on EU membership and divorce. For the first time ever, the Maltese people can make their voice heard on an important issue." The campaign co-ordinator says, however, that political interference is to be expected.

'No Vote16? - We can still win this'

Last week, the Prime Minister said that, although 16-year-olds will be voting for the first time ever in Local Council elections, they will not be allowed to vote in the hunting referendum. This might be considered to be a hard blow to the coalition because polls have shown that younger people are more environmentally conscious and, therefore, likely to vote to end spring hunting. CASH is, however, unfazed by this. "It is true that younger people are more likely to vote 'no' but, then again, we never expected that 16-year-olds would be allowed to vote. If they were allowed, it would probably work in our favour, but even without their participation, we can win this thing."

Hunters 'not a minority'

One of the leading arguments made by the pro-hunting lobby in the past few months is that the hunting referendum can set a precedent for other referenda against other so-called "minority groups," like horse racing and fireworks enthusiasts.

Romina says that, in reality, not all hobbies could be targeted by a referendum. "We spent a lot of time, effort and money collecting signatures and identifying the exact law that needs to be removed to abolish spring hunting. Some of the other hobbies mentioned are regulated but there might not be a specific law that allows them. We can aim to abolish spring hunting because there is a specific law that we can attack. In many other cases, this might not be possible."

Hunting, she says, is not a minority issue. "Hunters are using the word minority in a numerical sense but not in the correct way. Real minorities are people who have a lack of social rights in their country because of a lack of laws that protect them. We are talking, for example, of LGBT persons or other issues related to race and religion. As someone who is gay myself, I take a lot of offence when hunters say they are a minority. Minorities have a lot to fight for but hunters just have a privilege to hunt in spring."

Intimidation by hunters 'expected'

The hunting lobby has recently said that no one could take away Malta's right as an EU state to apply a derogation to allow spring hunting. It was perceived by some that the hunters will not accept the referendum result if it is not in their favour. "Intimidation is one of the things that hunters do. They sue Birdlife members for holding dead birds in photos, they threaten newspapers that publish their names and attend illegal protests while carrying imitation guns. Intimidation in the coming weeks is a possibility that people should be well aware of. We do not put it past hunters to be waiting outside polling places waiting to see who is going in to vote, especially in those areas where people will only be voting for the referendum. We hope that there will be increased security in certain problem areas."

Some believe that a win for the 'No' camp could lead to trouble. "We have discussed this issue from day one. Things might be more complicated now that the referendum will be held before the upcoming spring hunting season, rather than after it."

What happens after the referendum?

So what will happen to the coalition after the referendum? Romina says it depends on the outcome of the vote. "If the 'Yes' vote wins, then we will analyse what part of our campaign did not work and discuss a way forward from there, whether that is keeping the coalition alive and figuring a different way to get rid of spring hunting or dissolving it and leaving it to a few core organisations to do the work. This would also depend on the turnout and the result. If we win there will be no real need for the coalition anymore. We will not attack other groups like the FKNK is saying. We have no interest in fireworks, fishing, off roaders and the other groups that have been mentioned. If the 'no' vote wins, we will have a nice long sleep and a party."

Photos and video: Paul Jones