The Spring Hunting Out campaign this evening reacted to a statement by Federazzjoni ta l-Ghaqdiet tas-Sajjieda Dilettanti in which it encouraged members to vote yes in the referendum, with the campaign urging them instead to “vote on the facts, not on fear.”

Romina Tolu, SHout Campaign Coordinator said, “we’re saddened to hear that the amateur fishermen have been taken in by the hunters’ deceitful lies and blatant scaremongering. We urge them to read the legal research document issued by lawyers earlier this week, which sets out very clearly that recreational fishing is not at risk.”

“It is clear, and top Maltese lawyers have confirmed, that these threats are completely without any legal basis. It is nothing but scaremongering from the hunters,” continued Ms Tolu, “and it’s completely unfair of them to threaten and bully other hobbyists in this way.”

Judge Giovanni Bonello, former Judge in the European Court of Human Rights, told a press conference earlier this week that “No one should fear that the referendum will affect their hobbies”.

The legal research document quotes The Fisheries Regulations (S.L. 425.01) which states that:

Reg. 2: “Subject to the provisions of regulations 10 and 11, the use of the following fishing implements and methods is permitted without any licence at all times and in all localities:

(i) all methods of hook and line fishing, including jigging with gulpara and ]iel;

(ii) the fish spear or grains;

(iii) the basket traps called drajna, nassi tal-gran`, nassi tal-qarnit, and nassi tal-imrejjen;

(iv) the small hand nets called kopp tal-gambli, kopp tal-wi“, kopp tal-la“i, and kopp tal-lhud;

(v) all other minor and recognised fishing implements not otherwise specified in these Regulations, such as delfinara, gan`, or gaffa.”

Ms Tolu said, “the document therefore summaries that ‘any person who is fishing (not commercially) with the above implements does not require licensing. Regulation 3 goes on to state that the use of any fishing implement which is not mentioned in regulation 2 is subject to a licence from the Director of Fisheries.

“Therefore, it follows that similarly to the other laws researched, fishing is regulated and licensed and the removal of legislation would simply make such hobby more free to be enjoyed. This, with the obvious exception that the above are excluded from the requirement of licensing. So recreational fishing for non-commercial fish species should not be affected negatively by any referendum,”

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