European hunters sign up to turtle dove conservation project

The European Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation has signed up to a three-year project with BirdLife Europe to save 16 bird species, including the turtle dove.

In a statement, BirdLife Europe described the project, LIFE Euro SAP, as “Europe’s most ambitious bird conservation project”.
The EU-funded project’s proposal states that the main factors associated with the decline of turtle doves include the loss of suitable habitat in both the breeding and non-breeding range, unsustainable levels of hunting on migration, and disease.

The project will study the turtle dove’s entire life-cycle, covering entire migratory routes, analyse threats to the species, and define better-adapted conservation actions.

BirdLife Europe described the turtle dove as one of “the most charismatic and endangered species in Europe” but warned that “current conservation measures are not adapted and their populations are in continuous decline.”

The project will also develop species action plans for the Yelkouan Shearwater, Monteiro’s Storm-petrel, Velvet Scoter, White-headed Duck, Cinereous Vulture, Bearded Vulture, Dalmatian Pelican, Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Lapwing, ‘Baltic’ Dunlin, Ruff, Common Snipe, Eurasian Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit and Common Redshank.

Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal, Lithuania, Spain, France, and Greece will participate in this project.

“Euro SAP marks the beginning of a new era for bird conservation in Europe,” Ivan Ramirez, BirdLife’s Head of Conservation or Europe and Central Asia, said. “We are tackling bird conservation at a truly continental scale, we are creating a wide partnership that will work together to better protect our species, our activities and the wider biodiversity of our region.”

"While other countries in Europe are undertaking projects to encourage turtle doves to breed and recover, here in Malta a section of our society is intent only on destroying them,” the Spring Hunting Out (SHout) campaign said in a statement. “A 'No' vote in the referendum will stop this embarrassment to Malta once and for all.
“The scientific evidence is irrefutable; the turtle dove has declined by almost 80% in 30 years according to scientific reports, and a new pan-European project has been set up to address the decline and save the species.”

"Shooting of turtle doves in spring is unacceptable in Malta, and across the EU,” SHout spokesperson Mark Sultana said. “Malta is the only country in the Mediterranean where the turtle dove does not breed, due to every bird that tries to breed here being shot out of the sky in spring."  

Earlier today, Yes to spring hunting campaign spokesperson Kathleen Grima said that the status of turtle dove populations are “of the least concern”.

When asked whether she was aware of works by European hunters to preserve the turtledove species, Grima said that "one cannot take parts of the truth and turn it into the whole truth". 

She said that turtle dove populations have decreased drastically by around 70% in England, but that their decline is due to changes in their habitats and has got nothing to do with hunting in Malta. She pointed out that turtle dove populations have actually increased in countries like Spain, France and Poland.