The hunters' federation has asked the government to authorise spring hunting for turtle dove and quail despite a European Commission warning in February that Malta must stop spring hunting of turtle dove or face legal action.
The commission had argued that a derogation applied by Malta failed to comply with the conditions laid down in the Birds Directive and went against ongoing conservation efforts in member States.
Turtle dove is viewed as a threatened species. The government had imposed a moratorium on its hunting in 2016, but that was lifted a few years later.
The FKNK said its council members had a meeting with Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, who is responsible for hunting, and is a keen bird trapper himself.
He was asked to apply derogations to permit the traditional hunting of turtle dove and quail in April, as well as 'research regarding the migration of turtle doves by the traditional means of turtle doves clap-nets live-capturing (trapping) during the same period'.
The FKNK said it had presented evidence of positive results regarding the sustainability of turtle dove hunting in Malta.
These, it said, emerged from surveys that it had held with the voluntary help of a number of members, during the turtle dove hunting seasons in September 2021 and 2022, as well as through a 'scientific study' also held with the voluntary involvement of some members in April 2022.
It also briefed the minister on its Turtle Dove Project where turtle doves are released into the wild as a "compensatory measure".
The proposals made in the document will be presented at the forthcoming Malta Ornis Committee meeting for its consideration. It is the committee, which also includes BirdLife and the government, which makes a recommendation on the spring hunting dates and what may be hunted.
The FKNK said that during its meeting with the minister, it also discussed the EU's communications to Malta regarding the opening of turtle dove hunting and the case filed by the European Commission against Malta in the European Court in relation to the finches 'research programme'. It said it had submitted detailed data in order to assist the government in both cases.
Other items that were discussed during the meeting included the several problems that many FKNK trapper members encountered during last autumn's research and trapping seasons in connection with incorrectly plotted coordinates of trapping stations; police relationships; and taxidermy.