BirdLife Malta claims that the national quota for turtledoves may have already been infringedor even surpassed before the start of Malta’s official spring hunting season; a worrying development emerges in the days leading up.
In the days leading up to April 14th, BirdLife Malta’s Spring Watch teams have been found to be illegally targeting turtledoves based on thorough observation and video proof. Though the set spring hunting season—from April 14th to 20th—is legally limited to the hunting of common quail, field observers have observed that over 80% of the hunters seen were targeting turtledoves.
From early morning everywhere around Malta and Gozo, there was a great rise in this illegal activity,, and many shots were were fired on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Turtledove hunting is famously done from hidden, stationary points,, including hunting towers or camouflaged hides. By comparison, legal quail hunting calls for mobility; it usually entails hunters traversing open country with skilled dogs. Since hunters over these mornings were mostly still and used concealed hides, there was little question about their true objectives.
Noticing the Spring Watch crews, observers noted that hunters often tried to conceal themselves themselves or stay out of sight. Illegal activity was particularly obvious in important regions including Miżieb—where perfect turtledove habitat is found—and the northwestern parts of Gozo. One bystander saw one hunter felling three turtledoves in one morning. From all field monitoring staff, those who always saw turtledoves shot upon and falling from the heavens turned in similar reports.
Not only illegal but alsoalso endangering neighboring communities, BirdLife Malta has officially advised the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) of many major violations,, including the shooting of turtledoves and hunting within 200 meters of housing zones.
Compounding matters is the damage to other protected species. At the same time, wounded birds such as a collared dove, a common kestrel, a hobby, and a bee-eater were found to have injuries suggesting shot pellets.
The nongovernmental organization also said that the variance between policy and application troubled it. Though a government-approved derogation is being investigated to let the trapping of turtledoves under the guise of a “research-based” captive breeding program—supposedly to help population restoration in the wild—illegal hunting by members of the same hunting group goes unimpeded in recognized hotspots like Miżieb.
Turtledoves’ may legally be hunted from April 21st to May 4th. Over 9,000 licensed hunters will be needed to report their hunting activity and catalog any birds shot during this period, all within the limits of a national quota of 1,500.
Members of the public have been encouraged by BirdLife Malta to stay alert and to report any illegal hunting activities they spot either directly to the NGO’s own reporting channels or to the Environmental Protection Unit at 119.
