Some 6,000 hunters have applied for a licence to hunt in the three-week spring hunting season which opens on April 13. Applications closed this afternoon.
The special licence cost €50, with the proceeds going towards law enforcement.
Each hunter is allowed to shoot one bird per day for a maximum of four in a season. Hunters are obliged to record their catches in the official carnet de chasse document and by SMS.
The season may be closed before April 30 if the national bag limit for the two species is reached. If the limit for one species only is reached, the season will close for that species alone.Hunting will not be allowed on Sundays and public holidays.
The bag limits for this year’s spring season are below the maximum numbers established in the framework legislation agreed to with the European Commission. According to the legislation a maximum of 11,000 turtledoves and 5,000 quails can be shot in spring.
Earlier today the German bird watchers' organisation CABS said it would send a team to Malta to monitor hunting and report any law-breaking (see separate story).
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110405/local/cabs-to-monitor-malta-spring-hunting