The Sicilian Regional Administrative Court has suspended the region’s pre-season hunting period, giving migratory birds a safer passage through Sicily this autumn, BirdLife Malta said.

The organisation, called it a ”major win” for Turtle Doves in Sicily and explained that the court action, supported by The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), Green Impact, Federazione Nazionale Pro Natura and LEAL, challenged the decision to bring forward the hunting season, among other concerns due to a lack of sound scientific data on the risks facing migratory species.

BLM highlighted that Sicily and Malta are both important stops along the Mediterranean migration route between Europe and Africa.

It stressed that ”if the Italian courts found the killing of the Turtle-dove in autumn unjustified, one can only imagine how much worse it is for spring hunting of this species, when it is about to breed.”

BirdLife Malta pointed out that ”this is a fight we have taken to court since 2022, challenging Malta’s spring hunting seasons for Turtle-doves.”

”Birds know no borders – their protection shouldn’t either.”

File photo: BirdLife Malta – Aron Tanti

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