Spring hunting vote to go ahead after court dismisses Birdlife injunction
Ornis Committee will meet on Wednesday to vote on whether to open the season
This year’s spring hunting season is likely to reopen, after a court on Wednesday turned down a request by Birdlife to stop the Ornis Committee from discussing and voting on the matter.
In its request for a prohibitory injunction, Birdlife argued that the spring hunting season breaches the EU’s Bird Directive and local conservation laws, placing the vulnerable turtle dove further at risk.
Birdlife claimed that Malta’s spring hunting derogation was invalid, given that the season contributed to turtle doves’ declining population.
The NGO said that its arguments were backed by new data published by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit, which shows that the turtle dove population is dropping from one year to the next.
The government and the Ornis Committee rejected Birdlife’s claims, arguing that the injunction request was premature, given that this year’s spring hunting framework had not yet been drawn up.
They insisted that authorities are following due process, with the Ornis Committee having previously recommended the opening of the spring hunting season “on the basis of science”.
Birdlife’s request was turned down by Judge Ian Spiteri Bailey, who said that the NGO’s arguments had failed to meet the legal threshold required for an injunction to be granted, and had not shown that opening the hunting season would cause irreparable harm.
The courts also pointed out that Birdlife had similar requests turned down in the past.
This is the fourth consecutive year in which Birdlife has taken to the courts in an attempt to stop the spring hunting season, with their request being turned down each time on similar grounds.
Reacting to the news, Gozo minister Clint Camilleri said that he would await the outcome of the Ornis Committee’s discussions, set to take place later on Wednesday (today), before deciding whether to open the season.
In a short statement, FKNK described it as Birdlife’s “seventh attempt to stop the traditional socio-cultural practice of turtle dove spring hunting”.