BirdLife Malta has criticised the opening of another spring hunting season on Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur), saying that Government is simply ignoring the scientific evidence pointing to the declared 'vulnerable' status of the European Turtle Dove by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The organisation pointed out the disappointing fact that, instead of giving value to science-based research, the Government has last Tuesday opted for the wrong decision to allowing the hunting of Turtle Dove in spring, a species threatened with extinction and recognised as vulnerable by the IUCN. Turtle Dove numbers in Europe have decreased by 30 percent in just 15 years and these are irrefutable facts that cannot be ignored.

BirdLife Malta said that it is certain that spring hunting in Malta "is bound to end in the future. This could end as a consequence of the Turtle Dove numbers becoming depleted, or as a result of the European Commission taking action against this derogation. These are both negative scenarios which we encourage the Government to avoid by having the courage to stop itself this unsustainable practice once and for all."

During a press conference held today in front of the Office of the Prime Minister, addressed by Darryl Grima, President BL Malta and Mark Sultana, CEO, BL Malta, BirdLife Malta stated that the Government should not underestimate the implications of ignoring the serious conservation status of the Turtle Dove by opening a spring hunting season regardless.

It further said that it is "a pity that Government has succumbed to pressure from those who wish to continue with spring hunting." BirdLife Malta also noted that the Government's position "contrasts heavily to the singular occasions when the Prime Minister showed resolve in tackling illegal hunting."

"European Turtle Doves passing over our islands in spring will be on their last part of a long flight to wards their breeding grounds. These are the strongest birds selected by nature and it is imperative that we allow them to pass freely and safely to continue breeding. That is why killing in spring is unsustainable. Malta remains the only European country that hunts Turtle Doves in spring. Coincidentally, while this species breeds in North Africa, Sicily and in most European countries, it does not breed in Malta."

BirdLife Malta pointed to the fact that apart from being unsustainable, "the spring hunting of Turtle Dove will be, as in previous years, largely uncontrolled."

"This has been shown year after year by a failed game-reporting system that totally relies on the hunters' self declarations. As was the case in past years, hunters have an interest in under declaring the actual numbers of birds killed, such that the season does not close earlier than the 30th April," BLM said.

According to BirdLife Malta, "every spring hunting season, the numbers of birds declared are fraudulent and the fact that there is very little that one can do to enforce or improve the situation makes this derogation unacceptable. This is now further aggravated by the fact that the Turtle Dove is classified as vulnerable, warranting its protection rather than its killing."

It said that, the Government, on the advice of the Wild Birds Regulation Unit within the Parliamentary Secretariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, has opted to believe the declarations made by those who insist that killing vulnerable birds in spring is fine, while ignoring the scientific facts as presented by the IUCN, a world-wide recognised institution looked up by Governments across the world.

BLM stated that "in the past five years, there has never been a declaration of more than 4,200 turtle doves killed in spring by hunters. This, along with the fact that all declarations are made in the last days of each season, shows how unreliable hunters are."

"If such figures were by any fraction of the imagination to be believed, the government must certainly be aware that with reducing the quota for Turtle Doves killed this spring to 5,000, the impact of this year's spring hunting season on the Turtle Dove will be no different than previous years."

BirdLife Malta insisted that the Government has a responsibility to lessen the impact on this declining species by reducing, or ideally eliminating the amounts killed. "This year's spring hunting season will fail at achieving this."

BirdLife Malta concluded by saying that when the Government's decision to open a spring hunting season is taken purely on a political consideration, it may be the time to revisit the idea of another referendum.

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