Sarah DeCesare said that voting ‘No’ in the upcoming referendum is beneficial to everyone, including hunters, because by hunting in spring, the chances of birds breeding are narrowed. Shout is leading the anti-spring hunting campaign.

A report, compiled by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit shows that quail and turtledove numbers were at an all-time low across Europe. According to the report, turtledoves declined by a further 3% since 2012 making an overall reduction of 77% in the species’ European population since 1980.

SPCA’s role

“As an animal welfare group, we at the SPCA have been working with hunters for a long time and contrary to popular belief it is not the case that it us against them and that NGOs are against hunters by default.

“The fact is,” she continued, “that even though we may not agree with hunters killing birds, we are interested in the health of their hunting dogs. The SPCA steps in to promote the benefits of neutering dogs for instance, even those belonging to hunters.” “Hunters also agree with us that neutering their dogs is beneficial for them since it makes their dogs better working dogs.

“But when it comes to hunting itself, we believe that it makes no sense at all to shoot birds who are flying home to breed. Many hunters also agree with this,” she said.

This newsroom pointed out that hunters are arguing that it is untrue that they have five months of the year to engage in their hobby and springtime is the only season when a good number of turtledoves and quail flock to our islands. Hunters also claim that if families want to enjoy the countryside in Spring, they can do so due to a noon curfew.

Mrs DeCesare argued that those wanting to spend a day in the countryside should not feel restricted to do so.

“I think it is evident that hunters have plenty of time to enjoy their hobby and by hunting in spring, they are only harming themselves because they are reducing the number of birds.“This is why it benefits everybody to vote,” she reiterated.

She pointed out that the whole point behind this referendum is not to abolish hunting entirely. “Some people are up in arms because they think that the anti hunting lobby is trying to terminate a traditional hobby. What we are looking at is a particular time-frame,” she said.

Hunters’ SMS declarations

She also said that figures contradict hunters’ claims that their quarry is more plentiful in Spring. When one compares the declarations made by hunters, they caught more in the Autumn hunting season than they did in Spring last year.

This newsroom also pointed out that hunters have said that private land will remain private, referendum or not. “Hunters have 80%of the countryside available to them when Maltese and foreign nationals also want to enjoy it. Springtime is the most pleasurable time of the year to go out with our families and enjoy nature. It would be more pleasurable if one is not bombarded with pellets or is forced to deal with noise pollution while bumping into individuals who may be confrontational,” she said.

When asked if she agrees with the argument that hunters shoot birds which are then eaten, she replied: “Many hunters’ arguments have been challenged and studies even showed that their arguments do not hold.

“If anything, most of the birds that are shot down are not declared by hunters – a well-known fact. Having said that, she said, this statement is not attributed to every hunter, so it is not a case of pigeon holing them and putting hunters in one basket.

“Frankly, there are responsible hunters out there – it is rather unfortunate that a number of hunters are getting a bad reputation due to the ones that break the law,” she said.

“We need to look at the hard facts of the situation and challenge things,” she said.

Some hunters in favour of Spring hunting ban

She continued: “We at the SPCA feel very strong that the ‘No’ vote is going to win simply because, apart from the obvious fact that there is public outcry, there are also hunters who are in favour of spring hunting being abolished but do not speak out in public out of fear of retribution.”

She continued: “Although this group of hunters refuses to speak out publically against spring hunting, the electoral system will allow them to express their personal opinion freely without being influenced on how to vote, she said.

“If everybody unites and does his or her bit, we could see a big win for the No vote,” she added.

Asked what makes her so confident that there are hunters out there who disagree with spring hunting, she said that NGOs come across hunters who share their honest opinions.

“Many of these people do understand the benefits of a spring hunting ban but due to the fact that the issue is a hot one, they would rather stay not speak about the subject,” she said.

Asked if she feels hunters brought the referendum on themselves by under reporting their catches or as a result of the government’s ‘flimsy’ restrictions, she said that the people have made a request for spring hunting to be banned and therefore, the issue needs to be addressed.

“This is not a political issue but some people are trying to turn this into a political debate; it is the public who has demanded that a referendum be held not the politicians.

“We should be addressing the issue and an issue such as this, raised by the people of Malta, should not be ignored,” she said.

When asked if she fears that she could be intimidated as a result of her ‘No’ vote declaration, she replied: “I have met with all sorts of people in my roles in animal welfare. Some were aggressive but others very pleasant. There are many different people out there but if we are going to live our lives in fear that we can be intimidated, we will not win.”

If Maltese people want to continue to be known for being strong, we need to follow-up on what is right for ourselves, Mrs DeCesare added.

On whether hunters will continue to hunt illegally, even if hunting in spring is abolished, she said that there will always be the few who break the law in the same way some cat and dog owners treat their animals badly.

“If there are some people out there who are unsure about the ban, the benefits will become more apparent to them once spring hunting is gone. It will also be much easier to catch individuals who engage in illegal hunting once a ban is imposed,” she said.

Some hunters have stated that it is not right that all hunters are having to suffer as a result of certain hunters’ actions. Asked for her opinion on the matter, Mrs DeCesare said: “The referendum is happening because it is simply unsustainable to shoot turtle doves and quail in spring.”