The No referendum campaigners are claiming that: “Since the turtle dove is returning to breed in spring, then it should not be hunted” and that: “The pan-European turtle dove populations are down by 77%” and furthermore: “Cite and implicate Malta for the demise of the British turtle dove”.
It is indeed very true that the turtle dove migrates over the Maltese islands in spring, together with some other 300 recorded species, which are not hunted. In 2009, the European Court of Justice however ruled that turtle dove hunting in spring may be permitted for a limited period of time, in small numbers and strictly controlled so that the application of the relative derogation is in line with the “Birds” Directive.
In fact the hunting of the turtle dove in spring since 2010 has been permitted for a maximum of just 20 half-days, with very restricted bag-limits, both national and individual, and the season is strictly enforced, with any wrongdoers having to face some of the harshest penalties and jail terms in the world.
What the No campaigners further and conveniently omit to mention is the undeniable fact that the Maltese spring hunting harvest-limit set for the turtle dove is scientifically based on ringed records available from the so-called reference populations (certain European Member State countries) which are known to migrate over Malta. These countries have either stable turtle dove populations or even increasing breeding pairs.
The European Commission has also devised an equation to control the small numbers that can be harvested, and in its Guidance Document on Hunting under the Birds Directive it is stated that the taking must have a negligible effect on the population dynamics of the species concerned. “A figure of 1% or less meets this condition...”
If the total allowed limit of turtle doves were ever to be reached, this would be just 0.07% of the bird’s average European population, 0.37% of the amount of turtle doves that are harvested throughout Europe every year and 0.02% of its average global population.