BirdLife Malta has accused hunting lobby Kaccaturi San Ubertu of ”deception.” It said that KSU in a statement has ”once again exposes the amateur level of argument coming from the smaller group within the hunting lobby.”

BirdLife Malta pointed out that ”there is a basic failure to understand the difference between the Central- Eastern flyway, which Malta forms part of, and the Western flyway.”

In reacting to BirdLife Malta’s report showing that Turtle-dove populations are still declining along the Central-Eastern flyway, BirdLifeMalta said that ”KSU attempts to claim a contradiction with BirdLife International. This claim is misleading. The slight recovery recorded last year refers only to the Western flyway.”

The NGO pointed out that ”this recovery is not accidental, but follows a four-year full moratorium on hunting in countries such as Spain, Portugal and France. This clearly demonstrates that autumn hunting has a significant negative impact on Turtle- dove populations. It is therefore obvious that spring hunting is even more damaging.”

We suggest that before issuing knee-jerk reactions on subjects they clearly do not understand, KSU focuses its attention where it is truly needed – on ongoing illegalities within its own ranks,” stated BLM.

It added that reports in recent days are far more telling than any attempt to misrepresent scientific facts.

‘These include:

• the brutal killing of a Common Kestrel in Gozo by a member of the hunting and trapping community,

• another Common Kestrel blinded and injured at Mqabba on 20 March 2026,

• and a Grey Heron with its beak destroyed, near Delimara on 27 March 2026.

BirdLife Malta concluded by stating ”spring hunting has an expiry date – That time is now.”

Photo: CABS – Trapper stepping on Kestrel in Gozo and video: BirdLife Malta

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