SDM tonight said that it is in favour of sustainable development and hunting, but said that Spring hunting goes against that concept, which is why it is giving it the thumbs down.

SDM said the local political climate is currently dominated by the spring hunting referendum being held on the 11 April. "The Spring hunting period is  currently set to a three week period in April in which Maltese hunters (numbering 10,000 in total) are allowed to bag a maximum of 11,000 Turtle Doves and 5,000 quails between them," the student group said.

"It is important to note that Turtle Dove numbers have been dwindling over the past few decades. This is due to a number of factors, mainly habitat destruction, climate change and intense hunting along the Mediterranean. Spring hunting contributes to these dwindling numbers due to the fact that this affects the mortality rate of adult birds ready to breed as opposed to the autumn season where the catch consists mainly of juvenile birds," said SDM.

Abolishing spring hunting does not in any way signify that hunting will be removed in its entirety, as the five months of hunting in autumn remain unaffected. The abrogative referendum consequently deals only with spring hunting.

SDM believes that students should be kept at the forefront of national issues and should always seek to express their ideas and beliefs. It encouraged students to be actively involved in debates currently taking place and participate in a healthy democratic process ultimately by expressing their opinion through their voting right and duty.