Referendum about bird killing in Malta

This is a video about migratory birds on Malta.

From Wildlife Extra:

Historic decision to allow a referendum about hunting in Malta

Birdlife Malta has reported on the Maltese Constitutional Court’s recent positive decision to allow a referendum on spring hunting to take place.

Spring hunting accounts for the deaths of thousands of European migratory birds as they pass over the islands on their journey from Africa to their breeding grounds in northern Europe.

It has long been been the subject of mass campaigns, with supporters congregating from all over Europe to disrupt the hunters’ activities.

Anti-hunters have often being targetted by the hunting lobby with threats, verbal abuse and sometimes physical violence.

Birdlife Malta hails the referendum decision as a clear win for democracy and the campaiging of the Coalition for the Abolition of Spring Hunting which gathered the support and signatures of over 40,000 Maltese voters.

These ordinary Maltese people want to see change happen in the country and have pledged to make the Maltese environment better.

Romina Tolu, Campaign Coordinator for the Coalition says, “The process which has led to this decision by the courts was a particularly lengthy one, in which the hunting lobby tried to delay and mislead the people and the courts time and time again.

“It is now crystal clear that the legislation in question is not an EU treaty obligation and it is more than evident that the hunting lobby were clutching at loose strings from the start.”

Birdlife Malta believes that a decision such as this, which places power in the hands of the Maltese electorate to express themselves on an important national issue, is a positive opportunity for democracy in Malta.

It says this can see an end to concessions and backroom deals they say have been made between politicians and the hunting lobby at the cost of our migratory birds.

The Coalition now waits for the date of the referendum to be set by the President, following which it will launch its referendum campaign.

For more information visit Birdlife Malta.

Last weekend, 250,648 Maltese (75% of the population) headed to the polls to voice their opinion during a national referendum which proposed a ban on spring hunting. The majority took 50.9% of the votes and only won with an extremely narrow margin of 2.220 votes against the ban – allowing the contentious spring hunting season to continue as before: here.