The ORNIS Committee has this evening voted in favour of lifting the moratorium on the spring hunting of European Turtle-dove as from this year’s spring hunting season, BirdLife Malta has said.

Writing on Facebook, BirdLife said that the meeting, which started at 4pm, ended with a vote between the Committee members.

Five members voted in favour of the removal of the moratorium, BirdLife Malta said that it voted against and there was one abstention. The moratorium had been introduced as from the 2017 spring hunting season.

BirdLife added that ORNIS also decided that this year’s spring hunting season for European Turtle Dove should run from the 17th to the 30th of April, with a national bag limit of 1,500 birds.

This vote was approved with five ORNIS Committee members voting in favour, one (BirdLife Malta) against, and one abstention.On the spring hunting of Common Quail, it was decided that the spring hunting season should run between the 10th and the 30th of April, with a national bag limit of 2,400 birds., BirdLife said.

In this case there were six votes in favour and one, BirdLife Malta’s, against.

These recommendations will now be made to the government who has to accept, and officially announce this year’s spring hunting season details. BirdLife Malta said that this comes just a week and a half before the General Election

BirdLife Malta stated that, “this means that as widely anticipated, following pressure from the hunting lobby, the vulnerable Turtle-dove will start being hunted again in spring in Malta, when it is on its way to its breeding grounds.”

It argued that, “while all of Europe is protecting this endangered species from extinction, with some European countries also stopping hunting on this bird even in autumn, Malta will be killing it during spring, hunting it down a few days before it reaches its breeding grounds.”

Photos by Luke Massey and David Tipling

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