The hunting season for Turtle-doves has not yet opened, but the national quota of 1,500 Turtle-doves has already been illegally reached, BirdLife said Saturday,
This is based on footage and observations made by BirdLife Malta’s Spring Watch teams, who have seen over 80% of hunters active in recent days illegally targeting Turtle-doves, despite the hunting period from 14-20 April being solely for Common Quail, the NGO said.
Illegal hunting of Turtle-doves especially peaked over the past three mornings (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), with intense shooting reported in the early hours across various areas of Malta and Gozo. The distinction between Turtle-dove and Quail hunting is easily observed. Turtle-dove hunting takes place from stationary locations such as hides or hunting towers, while Quail hunting requires hunters to move – often with dogs – through open areas with low vegetation.
The two bird species are also very easily distinguishable, especially by hunters. The majority of hunters observed over the past five days were seen stationary with shotguns in hand inside their hides, with many hiding as soon as they noticed the observing Spring Watch teams. Turtle-doves migrating were especially noted by teams as they ran the gauntlet of gunfire from various hunters stationed in different hides, BirdLife said.
This was particularly evident in recent days in places like Miżieb – the FKNK claimed afforested area, which offers ideal habitat for Turtle-dove hunting. The north-west area of Gozo was also exceptionally active, with one hunter observed killing three Turtle-doves in a single morning. Every team in the field over the past three mornings witnessed Turtledoves being shot at and shot down. BirdLife Malta’s Spring Watch teams reported several incidents to the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU), including Turtle-doves being shot and hunting taking place within 200 metres of residential areas. Illegal hunting was not limited to Turtle-doves. Other protected species were also targeted, including a Collared Dove, a Common Kestrel, a Hobby, and a Bee-eater – all recovered during the past three days of intensified illegal hunting, the NGO added.
This behaviour certainly does not help with the two infringement procedures open against Malta – one on enforcement and the other on spring hunting of Turtle-doves. Meanwhile, the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) has still not published the total number of hunting licences issued, nor their distribution across Malta and Gozo, despite repeated requests for this information. The legal notice permitting a derogation for trapping under the so-called “research initiative” for Turtle-doves has also not yet been issued.
“It is ironic that while the hunting federation gets a derogation to trap Turtle-doves for captive breeding under the excuse of research to replenish wild populations, its members have occupied Miżieb in recent days, ensuring no Turtle-dove makes it out alive, as they are met with a barrage of illegally fired shots,” remarked Nicholas Barbara, Head of Conservation, BirdLife Malta. BirdLife Malta is questioning whether the hunters who shot and killed Turtle-doves over the past five days have filled in the forms that the hunting federations representing them urged them to complete, as part of the so-called ‘Sustainability Index’ survey for this season – said to lead to “scientific” reports intended to inform future decisions. The hunting season for Turtle-doves will open between 21 April and 4 May, with hunters obliged by law to register both their hunting effort and any birds shot. A national quota of 1,500 Turtle-doves is shared among over 9,000 hunters expected to be licensed for this period