The SHout movement is concerned by the fact that some 21,000 voters had not collected their voting documents when the deadline passed – more so because it is thought that many of them are not hunters – but it believes that apathy will be put aside and people will go out and vote in the hunting referendum, according to SHout spokesperson Mark Sultana.
Mr Sultana was being quizzed by journalists during a televised Broadcasting Authority press conference on Monday.
“21,000 votes is a considerable number of votes,” Mr Sultana said, in reply to a question by The Malta Independent. “I agree that most of them are probably not hunters. This is a problem but we are doing everything we can, with our limited resources, to convince people to vote.”
Mr Sultana conceded that the Yes campaign is more visually attractive – or “glossy” – but he insisted that “not everything that glistens is gold” and people will see through all the glitter. “You do not a fancy campaign to make people understand that hunting in spring is simply not sustainable. This is a no brainer.”
The Yes campaign’s promotional material did not portray the real Maltese hunters, he said. “Where are the shotguns? Where are the dead birds?”
The SHout spokesperson said the upcoming referendum is an important democratic tool and people should be left to make up their own mind on the issue. He said, however, that interference by politicians in what is considered to be a people’s referendum could “definitely tip the balance” in favour of the hunters. Mr Sultana was reacting to another question by this paper on the Prime Minister’s recent speech during a political activity in favour of retaining spring hunting. Mr Sultana noted that both political leaders had promised to refrain from entering the fray. “At the end of the day, we believe that people are capable of making their own decisions.”
He said that the argument that Malta is allowed to hunt in spring because not too many birds are killed during the autumn does not hold ground because it is based on the hunters’ “fallacious” reports. “Can we really believe hunters when they say they spotted 45,000 quail but only shot 1,600?”
Mr Sultana also shot down the hunters’ argument that autumn hunting will be targeted next. He explained that, whereas spring hunting is allowed by means of a derogation, autumn hunting is not. It is permissible and regulated. The only purpose a referendum could serve would be to remove all these regulations. It would not be able to stop the practice.
The same can be said for other hobbies. “The hunters want us to believe that former judge Giovanni Bonello is biased. Personally, I choose to believe Dr Bonello. Better yet, if you find it hard to believe, ask your own lawyers and see what they have to say.”
He also argued that Malta has a derogation simply because hunters love to shoot birds, unlike other countries, where derogations can be applied for valid reasons, like pest control.
“Studies show that the turtledove population has decreased by 77% since 1980. Malta is the only country in the EU that shoots turtledoves in spring. This is simply unsustainable. It makes no sense to kill birds on their way to the breeding grounds.”
Mr Sultana said intimidation against the anti-hunting lobby was unacceptable and so were the attempts to attribute to them threats and vandalism that took place in the past few days. The SHout campaign, he said, will respect the outcome of the referendum but its NGO members will keep working in favour of a sustainable environment. He also said he would not be surprised if the hunting lobby took the case to the European Court of Human Rights if the No vote wins but insisted that no government should go against the will of the majority.
Mr Scicluna said it was unfair to accuse the anti-hunting lobby of placing all hunters into the same basket when it reported illegalities. “The fact is that illegalities are happening and we cannot ignore them.”
Another issue tackled during the press conference was the inability of people to enjoy the countryside. “It is true that many areas in the countryside are private. That makes it even more important for hunting not to take place on the remaining public land.” Mr Sultana also said people cannot feel safe in the countryside when hunters with loaded shotguns were present. Even when hunting in their private fields, hunters were posing a nuisance and a risk to passers-by.
Asked if he believed the Prime Minister’s assurances that enforcement will be stepped up no matter what the result, Mr Sultana noted that Dr Muscat had once already closed the autumn hunting season when a sharp increase in illegalities was recorded. “We all remember the Valletta protest and the attack on bird watchers in Buskett. No matter the result, we should have better all-round enforcement.”