European Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella has urged the Maltese government to consider a moratorium on spring hunting for the turtle dove, a move that cannot be imposed by Brussels.
He was reacting to a call by the International Union for Conservation of Nature that urged the European Commission to “apply an urgent moratorium” on spring hunting for the species.
The IUCN said turtle doves had undergone a rapid decline in numbers over recent years and was up-listed to “vulnerable” on its Red List of Threatened Species.
Talking to Times of Malta after addressing the Mediterranean Leadership Summit yesterday, Mr Vella said that the Birds Directive did not allow for a moratorium to be imposed by the Commission on any member state.
“However, I would urge the Maltese government to consider it,” he added.
The spring hunting season for turtle doves and quail opened on April 17 and closes today.
The Birds Directive does not allow for a moratorium to be imposed by the Commission on any member state
However, this year, the national quota for the turtle dove was reduced to 5,000 birds from the maximum 11,000 allowed by the regulations that make spring hunting possible. The quota for quail remained un-changed at 5,000 birds.
Spring hunting is not allowed by the Birds Directive, but member states can apply an exception, which has to be justified with the Commission afterwards.
In Malta’s case, the European Court of Justice had ruled that the autumn hunting season was not a satisfactory alternative, giving hunters a window of opportunity to shoot quail and turtle doves in spring.
However, the spring season is limited, heavily controlled and includes individual apart from national quotas.
In a letter to Mr Vella this week, the IUCN said the Birds Directive clearly stipulated that a derogation should not be granted in the case of species with an ‘unfavourable conservation status’ or with ‘very low population levels’.
According to the IUCN, research is still ongoing as to why the turtle dove is declining faster than other migratory bird species, but there is already evidence linking the serious fall in numbers to agricultural intensification, disease and over-hunting.