BirdLife Malta has called for a moratorium on spring hunting of Turtle-dove in view of scientific evidence pointing to the species’ continued decline.

The NGO said on Wednesday that it will table a detailed report at an ORNIS Committee meeting next week, when the upcoming spring hunting season will be discussed.

The report (see pdf below) focuses on the Turtle-dove's status and the reasons why the species should be protected during spring.

The ORNIS meeting is due to discuss a proposal by the FKNK hunters' association for the opening of the spring hunting season for Turtle-dove..

BirdLife pointed out that Malta had been stopped from continuing the trapping of Turtle-doves in the past by way of an Infringement Procedure issued by the European Commission.

"FKNK’s proposal to continue the spring hunting of Turtle-doves risks bringing the spring hunting season closer to a European Court of Justice (ECJ) case, given the European Commission launched an Infringement Procedure with an additional Letter of Formal Notice against Malta in February 2023," the NGO said.