On the 10th anniversary of the referendum to abolish spring hunting, former BirdLife Malta Executive Director Steve Micklewright reflects on that time and tells the organisation it must take risks once again.

Carmel Cacopardo of Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) approached me about the possibility of an abrogative referendum shortly after the Labour Party (PL) won the 2013 elections.

PL had made a deal offering new concessions to secure hunters’ votes, but Cacopardo explained that a referendum called by the people could overturn the derogation from EU law allowing spring hunting.

Could a referendum break the cycle of politicians of both main parties trading concessions for hunters’ votes?

Kafkaesque nightmare

I quickly learned that BirdLife (BLM) and the Hunters Federation (FKNK) were locked into an ongoing war of words.

BLM rightly argued that spring hunting was against EU law and damaging to endangered turtle doves and quail, which were heading north to breed.

Hunters argued they had an inalienable right to shoot because of tradition, displaying ‘if it flies, it dies’ car stickers.

With bird hunting and trapping about to be made much easier by PL, meetings with EU civil servants indicated they would do nothing to stop the spring slaughter either.

They said BLM had to prove the Maltese government and courts were unwilling to act to implement EU laws before they could intervene. It was a Kafkaesque nightmare.

A coalition for change

So perhaps a referendum by the people for the birds could be a game-changer. Something different from the usual tit-for-tat was definitely needed.

Carmel Cacopardo from Alternattiva Demokratika and Birdlife activist, Chris Debono, submit the petition to the Electoral Commission, March 2014. Photo: Steve Micklewright.

The BirdLife board quickly agreed, and a coalition of NGOs with AD set about gathering petition signatures. Ten per cent of the Maltese electorate, about 40,000 voters, was needed, so forms were distributed far and wide.

Simultaneously, BLM set about raising the profile of spring hunting. At the forefront was the impact on turtle dove and quail, but access to the countryside and the international reputation of Malta were also highlighted.

Perhaps the most memorable moment was when Queen guitarist Brian May gave an eloquent speech during a concert in April 2014 to celebrate Malta’s 50 years as an independent country.

It was wonderful to sit in the VIP area surrounded by PL politicians and ministers, watching them cringe, and some walk out, as May explained why a referendum was needed.

Queen guitarist Brian May with Steve Micklewright at a concert in April 2014 where he supported the referendum to end spring hunting.

The loud cheers from the wider audience were in sharp contrast to the stoney-faced PL elite. Could it be possible for the referendum to become a reality? Not without a lot of hard work, that was for sure.

Thankfully, people were prepared to put in the effort. Every day, someone would come to the BLM office to proudly hand over completed forms, adding to the growing pile.

This was an exciting time and thanks to the hard work of committed and passionate supporters, 45,000 signatures were gathered. More than enough.

The hunting lobby tried to stop the referendum. They claimed they were a minority, and so their hunting privileges should be protected. Then, they claimed most of the signatures were falsified. They also threatened the political parties with their votes.

Hunters protested, carrying a banner reading, ‘15,000 hunters plus wives and family are votes (for a political party).’

Finally, they tried to get the courts to stop the referendum through their own petition. They failed, and the electoral commission declared the petition genuine, and the vote was set for 11 April 2015.

‘Spring hunting we can do without’

And so began an emotionally charged three-month whirlwind. Rudolf Ragonesi of Gaia and other NGO leaders had successfully fronted the petition campaign, but high-profile people were asked to help get the message out more widely.

Marmite media owner Saviour Balzan and popular TV presenter Moira Delia got involved. The main spokesperson, Mark Sultana (son of ornithological legend Joe Sultana) did the same. All English-language newspapers supported the newly named Shout (Spring Hunting Out) campaign.

Other well-known Maltese joined the throng, often at some personal cost. Hunters on social media derided Delia as ‘Miss Piggy’, and she was verbally harassed on several occasions. One young TV presenter had to stand down because of direct intimidation suffered by his family.

Press conferences, photocalls and public events raised the issues, while artists and musicians played their part, culminating in the release of a rework of Tears for Fears’ ‘Shout’.

Maltese, young and old, were always there too, wearing ‘Shout’ t-shirts and making their voices heard. Opinion polling constantly showed a decent lead. Surely, we would win.

Maintaining political neutrality

The tribal nature of Maltese politics was the greatest risk to success. I met Simon Busuttil, the leader of the Nationalist Party (PN), perhaps the most decent politician I met in Malta. Busuttil realised that party politics needed to be kept out of the debate.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat stated his support for keeping spring hunting, and both leaders kept silent for some time.

Two weeks before the vote, when polls showed a 7% lead for ‘Shout’, Muscat made a further statement supporting hunting. We also received reports from PL members who had received phone calls urging them to vote to keep spring hunting.

50.44% – a death sentence

On voting day,  Extra ferries were needed to take voters to Gozo. Many Maltese flew in to take part in the referendum. Could a historic vote to ban spring hunting be within grasp?

Sadly not. Malta narrowly voted to keep spring hunting by 2,220 votes or 50.44%, passing a death sentence for the birds about to fly over Malta on migration.

The referendum garnered major support but was lost by a small margin.

Was there political interference? Was Saviour Balzan too divisive? Was loyalty towards hunter family members a factor? Did we just lose the argument? Everyone had a theory.

Importantly, no other European country has focused on an important environmental issue like this and gone out to vote on it. And hunters were on their best behaviour for a short time, too.

Same as it ever was

I left Malta in late 2015, but Maltese friends tell me nothing has really changed. Hunters still accuse BLM of being extremists, and activists suffer harassment, intimidation and vandalism. I feel for the committed staff, like Nicholas Barbara, who has given 15 years of his life to this.

BLM has fought long and hard. Some have made this cause their life’s work. I salute you, but you are not winning. The same tactics that weren’t working in 2015 are definitely not working now.

The same middle-aged men fronting the organisation and saying the same things sound like a broken record. To get out of a stalemate, you can’t just make the same moves. Reach out to your allies and search for new ways because the birds need you to be brave and take risks once again.