Court revokes turtle dove hunting injunction

Updated at 10:36am with BirdLife Malta statement

The court has revoked an injunction on spring hunting for turtle dove as requested by BirdLife Malta.

On Friday morning the court decided to revoke the provisional injunction previously granted by the judge presiding over the case.

BirdLife Malta filed an application for the injunction last Monday, asking the court to order the Prime Minister, Environment Minister, Minister for Gozo and the Wild Birds Regulation Unit to immediately close the spring hunting season for turtle dove.

The season is expected to open on Sunday and end on 30 April, with hunters allowed to shoot 1,500 turtle dove.

A moratorium on turtle dove hunting in spring was introduced in 2017 after the European Commission threatened action on the basis that the species is vulnerable.

However, the hunting advisory committee, Ornis,  last month recommended that the moratorium be lifted in favour of a spring hunting season between 17 and 30 April that included turtle dove, apart from quail.

In court, the NGO argued that the shooting of turtle dove in the spring hunting season breaches EU rules. It contended that government’s decision to lift the moratorium would threaten the existence of the species, which is deemed vulnerable.

Hunting lobby group FKNK celebrated the court’s decision on Friday morning, describing it as another historic win for the organisation.

Nonetheless, FKNK urged licensed hunters to observe all laws and hunting regulations, including any reporting obligations, during the coming hunting season.

Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, who is responsible for government’s hunting portfolio, similarly thanked the State Advocate and Wild Birds Regulation Unit for working to have the injunction revoked.

BirdLife Malta said it was disappointed and surprised by the court's decision. It said that the decision fails to protect EU law, leaving no remedial means to breaches of European Directives. 

"The next legal actions and processes are in hand. In the meantime the European Commission now has more responsibility to act fast on this hunting season, and we expect to see developments in this regard in the near future," BirdLife Malta President Darryl Grima and CEO Mark Sultana stated.