Turtle Dove numbers increase along key migration route – EU experts

Updated 8.47pm with BirdLife response

The population of turtle doves along the Central/Eastern migratory flyway including Malta increased in Spring 2024, according to data shared at a recent European Commission meeting.

The news was welcomed at the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU (FACE) board meeting in Brussels on June 3, where board members, including FKNK CEO and FACE Vice President for the Mediterranean, Lino Farrugia, were briefed on the update, initially presented during the European Commission’s NADEG (Expert Group on the Birds and Habitats Directives) meeting.

Turtle doves are one of the main migratory species hunted by Maltese and Gozitan hunters.

Farrugia described the population increase as "significant and welcome," especially ahead of Malta’s continued discussions with EU institutions on sustainable hunting practices.

Also at the FACE board meeting, secretary general David Scallan stressed the importance of the upcoming Article 12 reporting deadline. These reports, due every six years from EU member states, assess the conservation status of bird species. This data can influence the European Commission’s decisions on the hunting of specific species.

Scallan highlighted concern about reported declines in quail populations and encouraged all FACE members to step up data collection and liaise closely with national representatives who attend NADEG meetings.

The FKNK noted it is already actively contributing to this effort through its voluntary “Sustainable Index” initiative. The scheme has collected spring migration data over the last three springs on both turtle doves and quail, with member hunters across Malta and Gozo taking part. 

'Greenwashing'

In a statement later on Thursday, BirdLife Malta said the hunting federation was spreading "false optimism on turtle doves while pushing to keep hunting". 

Accusing the FKNK of "greenwashing", the NGO said the federation "failed to mention the EU Task Force on the Recovery of Birds’ renewed recommendation for a zero harvest across the Central-Eastern flyway — to which Malta belongs".

The NGO quoted an EU report that appeared to suggest the increased numbers of the birds was "not statistically significant" and exhibiting "only a hint of recovery". 

"The weak population response... indicates that harvest is probably still significant or at levels thatare above an as-yet-unknown safety level," a copy of the report provided by BirdLife read. 

The NGO said FKNK "fails to acknowledge that turtle dove populations along the Central Eastern flyway have declined by 340,000 breeding pairs since 2005 — a 37% drop in 19 years," noting the assessment of the species had shifted from“stable” to “moderate decline".

"Malta has once again ignored expert recommendations by opening a 2025 spring hunting season for turtle doves — a season already marred by illegalities, including birds being shot even before the official opening", it said.

"Furthermore, the government has reinstated a derogation banned since 2011, allowing FKNK to trap and keep turtle doves," it said noting its requests for details of the derogation had gone unanswered. 

BirdLife head of conservation Nicholas Barbara said the NGO was "not surprised by FKNK’s continued use of misleading narratives to greenwash hunting interests", pointing to claims of research activities as examples. 

"At this point, the only thing left for FKNK to claim is that illegally hunting avulnerable species on its spring return to Europe is somehow a form ofconservation", the NGO concluded.