Prestigious conservation body slams Malta for turtle dove spring hunting

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a prestigious global conservation body, has slammed the Maltese government for intending to open the spring hunting season for turtle dove this year.

In a letter addressed to the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, the union said it was alarming that Malta was intending to lift a previous moratorium on spring hunting of turtle doves.

“The PDSG (IUCN’s Pigeon and Dove Specialist Group) is firm in our view that the deliberate killing of any turtle doves at such a critical stage in their life cycle should be halted with immediate effect, so as to not compromise the EU’s collective commitment to ensuring the recovery of this species.”

The IUCN is urging the European Commission to immediately request that Malta does not open the hunting season in 2023, and in subsequent years, until the bird is removed from its Red List of endangered species.

“Given the volatility of moratoria shown in past years, we also urge the Commission to ensure that the legal frameworks allowing the application of a derogation in Malta reflect the Commission’s own guidance that derogations should not apply to species which are declining within the European Union.”

This letter was submitted as evidence in court by BirdLife Malta to support their case to stop the spring hunting of turtle dove for 2023.

In their arguments, BirdLife Malta said that the turtle dove population has been in decline, and that allowing the hunting of a reduced poopulation will only encourage more hunting as it becomes more rare and valuable.

BirdLife had also put into question the validity of government figures on the turtle dove population in Malta. The government and hunting lobby has defended these figures.

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