BirdLife Malta on Monday criticised a court decision allowing the hunting of turtle dove, saying the court had relied solely on reports by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit "that conveniently ignore the real status of the vulnerable turtle dove."

The NGO had sought a court order to ban spring hunting for turtle dove, arguing that the breed is considered vulnerable in the European Union and a derogation from the Birds Directive was therefore not justified.

Mr Justice Goivanni Griscti rejected the request on Monday in a decision welcomed by both hunters and the government.

BirdLife said while it was disappointed, it remained committed to getting Malta in line with the European Birds Directive.

 "It seems that the court was relying solely on the Wild Birds Regulation Unit’s reports which conveniently use only scientific data up until 2018. The data up to 2021 shows a further decline and that the species has never been in a worse position," BirdLife said.

BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana stated: “We are seeing the result of having a politically motivated unit such as the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) which, despite having data that shows the real status of the turtle dove, opts to select specific datasets with the aim to portray a situation that is different than reality WBRU has put its political direction prior to scientific facts. The law courts relied solely on WBRU’s report and disregarded all other scientific data from reputable institutions such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). At the same time they did not allow us to bring in expert scientific witnesses and scientific data that would have counteracted WBRU’s position."

BirdLife said it was sharing this outcome with the European Commission in order to facilitate the way forward for a solid EU Infringement Procedure which had already been initiated in February with a Letter of Formal Notice sent by the European Commission  to the Maltese Government."

BirdLife also called on the police to strictly control and supervise the spring hunting season.

Earlier, the FKNK hunters' federation said it was satisfied that truth had triumphed.

The Ministry for Gozo, which is also responsible for hunting, welcomed the fact that the court had upheld its argument that controlled hunting for turtle dove was sustainable. 

It said it would not tolerate abuse once the season opened with the publication of a legal notice. Hunting for up to a maximum of 1,500 turtle dove will be permitted until April 30.  There is no individual quota,