The University Students’ Council categorically declares its position:AGAINSTthe retention of the provisions of the Framework for allowing a Derogation opening a Spring Hunting season for Turtle Dove and Quail Regulations.

The reasons behind our stance, the KSU said in a statement, are the following:

If one is placing a legal hobby in one pan of a balanced beam and sustainability in the other, and the said hobby is unreasonably outweighing the latter; bon sens advocates that such circumstances cannot persist. Thereupon, one is compelled to take the necessary measures to address such an untenable situation - not to deliberately antagonise the hunter but rather to further the appreciation and to safeguard the conservation of the species. With reference to hunting, one is not speaking of fundamental rights, exhaustive and unequivocal, because such can never be questioned, neither abolished.

Why does spring hunting counteract sustainability? (i) The killing of birds that are returning to mainland Europe from Africa to lay eggs continues to endanger the species’ survival –as a matter of fact, Turtle Dove numbers across Europe have declined considerably. It is meaningful to make use of the words “continues to”, since hunting alone does not wholly reflect the decrease in the number of Turtle Doves and Quail – one mustalso acknowledge that agriculture causes considerable harm. (ii) While not necessarily corollary, several entities are using spring hunting as a cover for the illegal killing of protected species.

This decision was taken by a simple majority of the votes present on 26 February within the Social Policy Commission following a democratic process coordinated by the Social Policy Office. Back in October 2014, the Office called a debate between political party representatives, BirdLife Malta and Saint Hubert Hunters respectively. On 4 February , the Office organised an Assemblea which gave students the opportunity to voice their perceptions, convictions and opinions. Thereafter, an Opinion Poll was opened to the student body at large.

Notwithstanding a margin of error, the result gives a clear indication that the student body is against spring hunting (vide Appendix I). In view of such, the Commission, composed of those student organisations which are approved by the University Senate, concluded that it should take a position against spring hunting. In effect, this is the position of the University Students’ Council (KSU). The Council however believes that the position communicated herein should also recognise the minority’s opinion. The latter believe that the provisions for allowing a derogation opening a spring hunting season is authorised by the Court of Justice of the European Union and thus should not be revoked. The Council represents the students’ voice and thus incentivises discussion.