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From The Malta Independent November 27, 2001
FKNK want to stop anti-hunting material
Staff Reporter
The Federation for Hunting and Conservation has said
that publishing anti-hunting material will certainly influence voting in future general elections or a referendum on EU membership.
In the third of a series of five press releases, FKNK secretary Lino Farrugia said the anti-hunting material which seems to
be distributed by foreign sources, especially by members of the European Union, will
certainly influence the vote of
local sportsmen at the polls.
He said the federation had already sent several messages to newspapers asking them
to refrain from publishing this anti-hunting material.
Mr Farrugia added that the last two press releases will be
released by the federation at a later date.
Very interesting article, suggesting that Malta's accession to the EU might be in danger because of the effect upon the votes
of hunters of anti-hunting letters in the Maltese press.
These, containing the suggestion that Malta will have to
abandon its current hunting liberalism if it wishes to accede to the EU, represent something the hunters obviously don't want.
What is to debate, obviously, is whether this is a double-bluff on the part of the hunting organisations - so terrified
are they of anti-hunting legislation that they would like us to flood the Maltese press with articles so that the referendum
on accession goes against Malta's joining the EU because of the votes of hunters. Maltese students of mine tell me the vote
is on a knife-edge, Norwegian-style and that this kind of issue (affecting c.10% of the population) could swing it to vote
against accession and keep Malta beyond Brussels' influence.
Not sure where to proceed from here as the press release
almost seems to invite a barrage of letters.
Reading Macchiavelli AGAIN for inspiration,
Paul Tout
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