Low hunting figures may be result of poor bird migration

The first spring hunting season seemingly sanctioned by the EU also appears to have been an extraordinarily poor one, according to ornithologist Michael Sammut, who argued that this could explain the low figures of shot birds reported by hunters over the past weeks.

Hunters, who under new rules were obliged to send an SMS whenever they shot a bird, reported bringing down only 1,842 turtle doves and 366 quails during the hunting season which opened on April 13 and closed last Saturday. This is well below the legal quota of 9,000 turtle doves and 2,500 quails.

However, though exceptionally low, Mr Sammut argued that the numbers could reflect the fact that this year was one of the worst in terms of migration, while turtle dove passage is decreasing year by year.

Still, it is difficult to assess the number of quails which land in Malta, as these birds usually scurry on the ground, while turtle doves make it to the island late at night.

The drastic decline in bird population across Europe is related to two main factors: hunting and a drought in Africa.

Hunters confirmed this year was one of the worst in terms of migration, however, at least two hunter organisations admitted the system was open to abuse and had to be changed.

Lino Farrugia, secretary of the hunters’ federation (FKNK) said the system might have given rise to abuse, adding that the daily limit of one bird was a “non starter” and it was not an EU requisite.

“The regulations implemented by the government, which include not permitting hunting on public holidays and Sundays, went beyond the EU regulations and were just gold plating to please the public,” he added.

However, Mr Farrugia, who has been hunting for 37 years also referred to the poor migration, saying he could not remember a season worse than this. 

St Hubert Hunters secretary, Mark Mifsud Bonnici said the chances of hunters actually shooting down birds were very small, given the short season.

He pointed out that migration is an unpredictable phenomenon, arguing that the length of the season should be tied somehow to the quota of birds shot.

Veteran hunter Henry Fenech Azzopardi echoed his colleagues’ declarations, saying hunting should be allowed on public holidays till 10 a.m. and the bag per hunter limit should be abolished.

On the other side of the coin, the declared number of shot birds was criticised by BirdLife Malta.

“The figure of 2,200 declared shot birds is a joke, because although migration is unpredictable, there was very good bird flow on particular days,” Geoffrey Saliba, BirdLife Malta Campaigns Coordinator, said.

BirdLife set up a spring watch camp between April 10 and 24, where 34 local and foreign volunteers in six teams, five in Malta and one in Gozo, observed migration flow and hunting.

The camp was monitored every day by a policeman.

On April 20, the six teams counted 2,500 shots between 6 and 8.30 a.m., and 7,500 shots were counted between April 13 and 24.

Mr Mifsud Bonnici said hunters doubted BirdLife figures, adding that not every shot resulted in killing a bird.

At times birds fly at 40 or 60 miles an hour, and once they hear shooting they fly faster and higher. It was not the first time that 20 or 30 shots were fired at a bird without killing it, he said.

This year, BirdLife said it received more shot protected birds than the total number of birds received during the same period for the past three years. Between April 13 and 30 it received 22 injured protected birds, while 12 birds were received between the same period in 2008, 2009 and 2010.