As the spring hunting season opens today and hunters hit their hideouts with their guns aimed at migrating turtle doves and quails, the European Commission warns it will not tolerate any illegalities.
In past seasons we had many reports of some hunters breaching the rules and we will be making sure this does not continue
Reminding hunters they were being allowed “an exception” from the Birds Directive’s general rules, a European Commission spokesman said Brussels would be closely watching how the season developed to ensure the rules were enforced and strictly adhered to by hunters.
“It will be particularly important for Malta to take all the necessary measures to ensure strict supervision and enforcement so that the limits and conditions of the 2012 spring hunting derogation are respected in practice,” the spokesman pointed out.
Under EU rules, hunting is prohibited in spring.
In 2009, the European Court of Justice found Malta guilty of allowing a full scale and disproportionate spring hunting season. However, the ECJ left a small window of opportunity open for a “limited” and “restricted” season due to the lack of birds available to be hunted in autumn.
This year’s spring hunting season will run until April 30 and is subject to strict rules, including a national bag limit of 11,000 turtle doves and 5,000 quails. Hunters also had to apply for a special licence at a cost of €50 each and will have to wear a numbered armband when hunting.
They are only allowed to catch two birds a day and not more than four birds throughout the entire season. They have to report immediately via SMS each time they shoot a bird.
Compared to last year, this year’s season is one day longer and allows the hunting of 2,000 more turtle doves and 2,500 more quails. The daily bag limit has been doubled.
Although this year’s conditions have been harshly criticised by BirdLife Malta, which accused the government of giving in to hunters by allowing laxer rules than last year, the Commission has so far remained silent.
“The Commission understands that the parameters of the 2012 spring hunting season have been established in accordance with the relevant national legislation,” the spokesman said.
These set out the detailed conditions for a restrictive opening of future spring hunting seasons in Malta and “appear to ensurecompliance with the relevant requirements” of the Birds Directive and ECJ ruling.
Commission sources said the EU Executive would this year be making a special effort to see whether hunters were really obeying the rules.
“In past seasons, we had many reports of some hunters breaching the rules and we will be making sure this does not continue,” the sources said.
Apart from detailed reports of enforcement that the Maltese authorities have to send to Brussels, officials will be monitoring other reports from NGOs and marshals on the ground.
The hunters’ federation, FKNK, which opposed EU membership because of hunting, vented its frustration at the government’s decision to allow only a restricted season.