Volunteers to help BirdLife monitor spring hunting season

Over 20 volunteers hailing from eight countries will help BirdLife Malta monitor the spring hunting season, that will open for two weeks starting this Sunday.

BirdLife Malta’s Spring Watch teams will be monitoring the hunting season’s activities, collecting vital data on this year’s spring hunting derogation, reporting any illegal activities taking place and, protecting migratory birds.

The government has authorised a spring hunting season, allowing around 10,000 licensed hunters to hunt a combined total of 5,000 quail and 5,000 turtle dove. The season was opened, despite the fact that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature last year classified the European turtle dove as a vulnerable species.

The government announced the 5,000 Turtle Dove quota as a “conservation measure”, referring to a reduction from previous years’ quotas of 11,000 Turtle Doves.

“The announcement of the opening of this year’s hunting season comes as a great disappointment, particularly following the news of the turtle dove now declared as a ‘vulnerable’ species as is listed under IUCN’s Red List,” BirdLife’s conservation officer Nick Piludu said. “In the last 15 years, turtle dove populations have already decreased by 30%.

“Past spring hunting seasons have shown that government authorities cannot realistically control the amount of birds killed. A failed game-reporting system drastically puts this species at risk, going against the conservation efforts expected to safeguard this species.”

“Over the past years, hunters have subsequently declared less than 5,000 Turtle Doves caught each and every spring hunting season. This year’s hunting season is accordingly not deemed to introduce any particular conservation measure, and no justifications have been presented yet by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit or any government authority, to explain how a hunting season on 5,000 Turtle Doves actually contributes to the conservation of the species.”

BirdLife warned that the spring hunting season has, over the past years, served as a smokescreen for protected birds to be targeted.

“Whilst hoping that no protected birds are shot during this season, we also hope the Government will take the same stance it took last year when it closed the season prematurely due to a shot protected bird,” Piludu said.

The public are urged to report any suspected hunting illegalities to the police on 119, and then BirdLife Malta on 21347644/6 or the emergency number 79255697.