Large number of votes on abolition of spring hunting in Malta remains uncollected
Xinhua, April 10, 2015 Adjust font size:
A total of 20,937 votes for Malta's national referendum on abolition of spring bird hunting were not gleaned by Thursday's final deadline, according to local newspaper Independent on Friday.
The 12th district, which is made up of several of the archipelago's towns including St. Paul's Bay and Mellieha, has the largest amount of uncollected votes at 3,433.
According to the Malta Electoral Commission, 338,447 people in the country are eligible to vote, meaning a turnout of 169,224 people is needed for the referendum to be valid. The uncollected votes is equivalent to 6.2 percent of all those eligible to vote.
The referendum votes will start with the sorting process at 9 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Sunday.
The islands' spring hunting tradition is a point of contention in Malta that has become the focus of questions and controversy over land use, sustainability, and biodiversity.
Located half-way between continental Europe and Africa, Malta is a stepping stone on a seasonal bird migration route between the two continents in spring and autumn. The country has come under pressure in recent years from international campaigns against its traditional spring hunting season. Endit