Thousands of French hunting enthusiasts have taken part in a rally in the northern French town of Abbeville to protest against proposed government legislation that would shorten the hunting season in order to protect migratory birds.

The legislation is in line with a European Union directive which France has ignored for more than twenty years.

Today's protest was organised by a political party set up to represent the interests of hunters -- the Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Tradition party.

The party won more than a million votes in last year's European elections. The BBC Paris correspondent says that in the north and south-west of France it is a major political force.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service