The spring trapping season for quail and turtle-dove opened on Monday and will run till 20 May, the Federation for Hunting and Conservation said in a statement.

The FKNK said the season was opened in accordance with legal notice 44, which, although ambiguous in parts, was more or less in accordance with its predecessor, legal notice 79, which was published in March, 2006.

The same legal notice also lays down that hunting of the two species of birds can take place only between 10 April and 20 May. The FKNK said it issued the statement because it had received reports from members who said they had been told by police that they had not been informed of the precise dates in question.

The FKNK made the point that “ignorance of the law is no excuse” applied to all – those who had to abide by the law and those who enforced it.

“However, the FKNK will not blame anyone for getting confused, because the whole issue of hunting and trapping regulations is one of complete confusion,” said the federation.