[WATCH] FKNK releases over 700 Turtle Doves into the wild

The Federation for Hunting and Conservation - Malta (FKNK) last Sunday released over 700 turtle doves which had been bred in captivity by several FKNK members.

This marked the second year of the FKNK project: Turtle Doves – Captive Breeding and Release, since May of last year, when the FKNK launched the project by releasing over 400 turtle doves from Buskett.

FKNK said that the aim of this project is the restocking of the wild population, so that the traditional Turtle Dove spring hunting season will again be permissible.

Since the turtle doves were bred in captivity, they were all adequately marked with rings.

The Minister for Gozo, Justyne Caruana, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries, the Clint Camilleri, were present for the activity of Sunday at  the shooting ranges in Żebbuġ, Gozo, and even released a turtle dove each.

The captive breeding of the released turtle doves was undertaken by several members of the FKNK from around Malta and Gozo, over the past year.  The officials from the FKNK Council who were in charge of the project, together with veterinarians, monitored the breeding birds at the respective breeding stations, prescribed the appropriate fodder and medicine as necessary, tested for any diseases that could be present.