Updated | Government confirms spring hunting season

Adds FKNK statement

Parliamentary secretary for agriculture, fisheries and animal rights Roderick Galdes has confirmed that the spring hunting season for this year will run between the 10 April and 30 April, as recommended by the Ornis Committee.

Galdes said the Labour government was also honouring the electoral pledge made to hunters, abolishing the €50 special licence fee which hunters paid for the past three years.

Hunters are also no longer required to wear the armband, which previously was employed to have legal hunters discernible from illegal hunters.

Days, hours and quota - 11,000 turtle doves and 5,000 quails - will be the same as last season's quota, given that the government "didn't have enough time to commission technical studies over the proposed changes".

"Such studies take weeks," the parliamentary secretariat said in a statement.

Galdes also revealed that in the coming weeks, the government will be presenting technical studies needed for the implementation "of other proposals".

Government also reassured that law enforcement will be "strengthened" through the active participation of the hunters' federation, FKNK. "No law infringements will be tolerated," government said.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued late on Monday, the hunters' federation, FKNK, explained that earlier in the day it held a meeting with Prime minister Joseph Muscat, environment minister Leo Brincat and parliamentary secretary for animal welfare Roderick Galdes.

The federation said that the government reiterated its commitment to honour the pre-electoral pact signed by FKNK and the Labour Party and during the meeting the government also explained why not all proposals were implemented as of this season.

FKNK added that studies will be commenced shortly to ensure that the pre-electoral agreement would be implemented the 2014 spring season.