Government issues Majjistral park regulations

The government has issued a legal notice enacting regulations allowing hunting in the Majjistral Park only between two hours before sunrise and 10 am. 

The regulations apply both to the hunting of birds and wild rabbit.

The new regulations also ban access to the Park to anyone in possession of a firearm or any other weapon, whether loaded or not, prior to two hours before sunrise and after ten o'clock in the morning.

Any person hunting within the boundaries has to unload his or her firearm or any other weapon and place it inside its cover and exit the Park by 10 am the  morning.

Neither are hunters allowed to hold a dead bird or rabbit in the park after 10 am.

The regulations also ban anyone from parking a vehicle in the park outside designated areas.

Visitors are also not allowed to kindle a fire for entertainment purposes, including fireworks, bonfires,  barbecues, and campfires outside designated areas

The only activities allowed in the park are walking and cycling  on designated footpaths and educational tours organised by the  Park Manager.

Filming activity are also restricted to designated areas as indicated from time to time by the Board.

Anyone in breach of the hunting regulations shall be subject to fines applicable in conservation of Wild Birds Regulations.

Any person who commits an offence against any other regulation shall be liable: on first conviction, to a fine of not less than €400 but not exceeding €50,000.

On a second or a subsequent conviction, one is liable to a fine of not less than €600 but not exceeding sixty thousand euro €60,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both such fine and imprisonment.

A legal notice drafted in 2012 had proposed a stricter hunting ban after 9am.

But following protests by hunters, this law never came into effect, resulting in a situation where the police could not effectively enforce the Majjistral board's decision and with hunters openly disregarding the time limit.

Effectively the new government agreed to concede an extra hour of hunting in its bid to ensure that the new regulations are observed.