Hunters have already started shooting turtle dove, despite a pending court case over whether spring hunting for the species should be allowed, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said on Thursday.
The court case was instituted by BirdLife in view of the fact that the EU considers the species as vulnerable. A court earlier this month upheld a request to ban turtle dove hunting until the case is heard. The EU itself had warned the government that no derogation (from the Birds Directive) to allow hunting could be justified.
CABS said that last week its field teams observed "hundreds" of irresponsible hunters targeting turtle doves everywhere across Malta and Gozo.
The NGO pointed out that quail – the only species which may be legally hunted at present – are typically found in open fields while the overwhelming majority of active hunters were observed hunting in forested areas – the typical habitat associated with the passage of turtle doves.
"The large number of gunshots fired from these woodlands lets us fear that a significant amount of the planned 'quota' for turtle doves has already been exhausted before the season has even opened yet," CABS press officer Axel Hirschfeld said.
The organisation said most hunters were shooting from static hides close to aviaries filled with live turtle dove decoys.
"These individuals clearly want to kill turtle doves or other protected species, but definitely not quail," Hirschfeld said adding that some of them were observed wearing masks to avoid identification.
CABS president Karl-Heinz Kreutzer accused the government and the Ornis Committee - which had recommended spring hunting for both quail and turtle dove - of deliberately neglecting the science and common sense in favour of appeasing the members of a lobby group.
"All available studies clearly show that the European turtle dove is rapidly heading towards extinction. While most EU countries – including Spain and France – drew the consequences from this and have suspended turtle dove hunting throughout the year the government in Valletta continues to defend the undefendable to please their armed electorate with this kind of eco-corruption."
He called on all remaining responsible hunters – regardless of the court decision expected tomorrow afternoon - to restrain from turtle dove hunting in spring and autumn and contribute to the survival of this species.