Fearing referendum, hunters launch petition to amend law
FKNK to organise petition to amend Referenda Act to prevent 'minorities' from invoking law to organise abrogative referendum.
Hunters' lobby FKNK has launched a counter-petition to amend the Referenda Act, after the Coalition Against Spring Hunting announced it had collected over 30,000 signatures and that it was closer to reach the necessary amount of signatures to hold a referendum to abolish spring hunting.
The FKNK today said it was unable to say what it could do if the CASH campaign gets the necessary 34,000 signatures to force the referendum.
"It's a direct attack of one minority on the rights, traditions and privileges of another minority," FKNK president John Perici Calascione said.
The FKNK today launched its own campaign, to collect signatures for a petition to amend the Referendum Act so as to "protect the rights, interests, and privileges for all minorities."
While the CASH petition is to legally demand an abrogative referendum for voters to decide whether to ban spring hunting as laid down by EU rules, the FKNK wants to petition MPs to amend the Referenda Act.
"Asking for a referendum on spring hunting is the start of an attack by minorities over anything they do not agree with. Today it is hunting, tomorrow it will be horse enthusiasts, fireworks, cyclists, climbers or any other hobby," Perici Calascione said.
Asked what is the FKNK's position about the numerous illegalities being carried out during the autumn hunting season and illegal trapping still carrying on, Perici Calascione said that despite these "bad apples" the FKNK could keep working with the authorities to clamp down on illegal hunting and trapping. "If anyone, especially members of the press which support the campaign, know of any illegalities, you should report it to the police," he said.