Update: No justification for a spring hunting season – BirdLife

by Gozo News · February 2, 2017

Update below with KSU response: BirdLife Malta reacts to yesterday’s Ornis Committee recommendation on spring hunting for 2017, insisting that there is “no justification for a spring hunting season to be declared.”

Following yesterday’s recommendation by the Ornis Committee to the Government to open a three-week spring hunting season for Quail between the 25th of March and the 14th of April (no hunting for Turtle Doves will be allowed due to the moratorium announced last May), BirdLife Malta said that it still believes that a spring hunting season should not be opened for 2017.

BirdLife Malta insisted that the final decision to be taken by the Government “should be based on scientific facts and reminds the Government that political promises do not justify a derogation from the EU Birds Directive.”

BirdLife Malta’s vote yesterday during the Ornis meeting was the only one against a spring hunting season for 201, it said. “The Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK), the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), and the two independent government – chosen representatives along with the Ornis Committee Chairman all voted in favour.”

BirdLife Mala said that the main reason for its position against a spring hunting season remains guided by one important conservation value – “that birds should not be killed whilst they are migrating north to their breeding grounds.”

“Apart from this, there are further factual scientific reasons why a spring hunting season for Quail is not justified, such as studies commissioned and paid for by government itself which show that in autumn there is a sufficient passage of Quails during the first two months of the hunting season.”

BLM said that “these facts show that in 2014, a total of 45,863 Quails were estimated to have migrated over Malta in autumn with this figure increasing in 2015 and increasing further in 2016 to 69,915. This means that autumn is considered a satisfactory hunting season for Quail.”

Even comparing the actual number of birds shot proves that Quail autumn hunting is satisfactor, BLM added.

“Notwithstanding the recommendation made to the Government by Ornis yesterday, the final responsibility now lies with the Government to set the conditions and legislation allowing a spring hunting season for 2017,” said BirdLife

In view of this, BirdLife Malta said that it will “keep on insisting that the Government takes a decision based on scientific and factual reasons and not one which is dictated by political promises and will.”

BirdLife Malta concluded by saying that in the coming days it will be submitting these scientific facts to the Government together with its final recommendations.

Update with KSU response: Kaccaturi San Ubertu KSU in a statement has referred to what it describes as BirdLife Malta’s “expected reaction to the proposed opening of a legal limited hunting season for Common Quail this spring.”

KSU said, “the right to derogate for hunting Turtle Dove and Quail was acquired following an ECJ ruling and endorsed by a public vote in a costly referendum. Due to a controversial change in the classification of turtle dove shortly after last year’s derogation period KSU supported a voluntary moratorium on spring hunting of this bird until facts are established as proposed by the FKNK.”

“Considering the favourable status of the Common Quail,” KSU stated that “far from being a `political promise,’ there is absolutely no reason, not to apply derogation once last autumn’s harvest of this bird necessitates a `satisfactory solution’ in spring.”

It added that, “Birdlife Malta’s position `guided by an important conservation value – that birds should not be killed while migrating north to their breeding grounds,’ goes against the principles of the EU Birds Directive permitting derogation in spring as in the case of Malta and several other EU states.”

KSU concluded by saying that it “trusts that as done in the case of the Turtle Dove a change in the conservation status of the Common Quail will not inexplicably coincide with the announcement of this year’s spring derogation period.”