With any sort of announcement on the government’s intentions over opening the spring hunting season still pending just over two weeks before the date the season opened last year, the possibility of the spring season opening this, or any other, year is appearing increasingly dubious.

Given the legally required four-week period between the announcement of the hunting season’s dates and its actual opening, it is also appearing increasingly likely that this spring will be the first in history in which hunting will not be practiced in Malta.

Last year’s season was from 10 April to 20 May but was brought to an early close on 10 May following an alleged massacre of honey buzzards, an endangered species.

With the European Commission now having officially taken the long-expected step of taking Malta to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the contentious spring hunting practice, the government has said it is to leave the future of spring hunting in the court’s hands and that it would respect any ruling meted out.

The Ornis Committee, which is usually tasked with recommending the season’s opening and closing dates to the Minister for the Environment who then takes a final decision, this year chose not to provide a recommendation, on two separate occasions, in the light of court proceedings now underway and effectively laid the onus of such a decision at the government’s feet.

The government, for its part, has said it would respect any decision handed down by the ECJ but has not publicly stated whether it intends opening the season or not – a delicate and thorny issue given the recently wrapped-up election campaign in which neither major political party went as far as to declare itself on the issue, but in which both said they would respect the ruling given by the ECJ.

Migratory peaks for Malta’s two huntable species – turtle-dove and quail – usually occur in mid-April and a decision to open the season must be taken, by law, no less than four weeks before the season is to open, after the time span was reduced last year from the previous six weeks.

As such, even if a decision to open the season were to be taken today, the migratory peak for turtle-dove and quail, which provides for the best hunting, would have already come and gone given the required four-week lapse between the season’s announcement and opening.

When filing its case before the ECJ, the European Commission had also requested the courts to take an interim measure against Malta so as to ban the opening of the spring season until the matter is decided in finality by the courts.

The fact that such a measure has not been applied as yet, so close to the usual opening of the season, can be explained by the fact that it is normally used in more of a reactionary fashion as opposed to being a preventive measure – meaning it would be applied, in Malta’s current case, if the spring hunting season were to be opened by the government. The measure, which could be considered as something of an embarrassment for a member State, would most likely not be applied if the season were not opened.

But the fact that the EC has requested such an interim measure from the courts is indicative that it fears the season might possibly be opened, and EU officials are presumed to be keeping a close eye on Malta for any sign that it may intend opening the season.

The possibility of any such announcement being made appears increasingly bleak with each passing day. Even if the season’s opening were to be announced today, it would not be able to be opened, by law, until 23 April – nearly two weeks later than last year’s. Last year’s 10 April opening was, in fact, a rather late starting date since the season is usually opened by at least the third week in March.

With the Ornis Committee wary of taking a decision on spring hunting dates, citing the ECJ case being faced by Malta, the government remaining all but silent and with the days ticking away, it is increasingly likely this spring will be the first in history in which Maltese hunters will be staying at home instead of taking to the countryside.

It is not yet clear how the Federation of Hunters, Trappers and Conservationists (FKNK) – Malta’s leading pro-hunting lobby – will to react to a no-go for spring hunting this year. The Federation, which has taken a hard-line stance in favour of the spring practice’s retention, recently called on President Eddie Fenech Adami to personally intervene on the spring hunting issue.

At two public meetings held at the beginning of the month, FKNK secretary general Lino Farrugia declared that if the season is not opened as anticipated this spring, he would stop advising its members to abide by the law, explaining he had always been the first and most adamant that Maltese hunters should abide by the law of the land.

“I have always been the first to say ‘abide by the law’,” he said, “but if the law is changed in such a way that spring hunting is not allowed, I would no longer tell our members to abide by the law.”

Mr Farrugia could not be reached for further comment yesterday afternoon.