Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/490723
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 5 APRIL 2015 18 Trend favours no camp Out of seven MaltaToday surveys on the Spring hunting issue conducted since July, 2013 only one poll showed a majority in favour of retaining the spring hunting derogation. But surveys carried out by MaltaToday showed support for ban- ning spring hunting decreasing substantially from nearly 60% in July 2013 to 40% now. The first substantial dip in support for a ban in Spring hunting was registered after the MEP elections in June 2014 when support for banning spring hunting fell to 44%. But support for the ban increased again to 50% in September. Then by the start of the campaign in January support for the no camp fell again to just 39%. The January poll was the only one in which the Yes camp reg- istered a small one point lead. That survey was held immediately after the announcement of the referendum question. A survey commissioned by TV programme Xarabank in Febru- ary had also shown the No camp leading by nine points. This level of support for the No camp remained constant in MaltaToday surveys held since January while support for the Yes camp decreased from 40% in January to 33% now. All surveys held in the past month have confirmed the same trends with regard to support for both camps among different categories of voters. Support for Spring hunting among Labour voters has hovered between 52% and 58% and between 13% and 19% among Nation- alist voters. The comparison between voting intentions in the referendum and political opinion is based on how respondents voted in the 2013 general election. University and post secondary educated respondents have con- sistently supported banning Spring hunting while females have tended to be more undecided than males. Indecision higher among Labour voters The survey still shows a higher percentage of undecided voters on the Labour side. While only 10% of PN voters are undecided the percentage rises to 16% among PL voters, who are also more likely not to vote. While 4% of PN voters will not be voting, the percentage rises to 8% among PL voters. Since Labour voters tend to be more favourable to spring hunt- ing than PN voters, a surge for the Yes camp in the last few days of the campaign cannot be excluded. But declarations made by the Prime Minister in favour of Spring hunting in the past weeks do not seem to have had an impact on these voters. PN voters' support for the No camp has decreased from a 73% peak registered two weeks ago to 67% now. This means that more than two out of every three Nationalist voters will be voting No. The drop in support for the no camp among PN voters was cor- responded by a four point increase in non-voters among this cat- egory of voters. Support for the Yes camp among Labour voters is one point higher than it was a fortnight ago. Support for the No camp has also decreased by a point. Only one-fifth of Labour voters will be voting 'n'o. This means that the No camp is attracting the support of two- thirds of PN voters but is only attracting the support of around one-fifth of PL voters. On the other hand while less than one-fifth of PN voters support spring hunting, more than half of PL voters (55%) think likewise. The survey also shows that the majority of voters who did not MaltaToday Survey No to Spring Hunting Yes to Spring Hunting Won't vote Don't know No reply -0.5% -0.1% +0.4% +1.2% -1% Change in voting intentions over March 2015 Both 'yes' and 'no' camps reg- istered drops in support, while those who say they will not vote or who do not yet know what they will vote, increased Final week of campaign still July 2013 June 2014 Sept 2014 Jan 2015 Feb 2015 March 2015 April 2015 59% 28.1% 40% 38.6% 39.7% 33.4% 16.7% 8% 2.2% The survey still shows a higher percentage of undecided voters on the Labour side PN voters' support for the No camp has decreased from a 73% peak registered two weeks ago to 67% now Surveys carried out by MaltaToday have shown a consistent support for the banning of spring hunting, with the No camp now holding its seven- point lead twice in two weeks. Polling by JAMES DEBONO