The spring hunting season opens on April 13 and runs until the end of the month, allowing hunters to shoot 9,000 turtledoves and 2,500 quails, the government announced yesterday.

Unlike last year, all hunters may apply for a special licence costing €50 to be able to shoot in spring. According to the legal notice, hunting will not be allowed on Sundays and public holidays.

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.

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.

However, the actual limit established every year depends on the number of birds killed last autumn. If more than 10,000 turtledoves and quails respectively are killed in autumn, hunters can expect lower limits in spring. If autumn’s catch reaches 21,000 turtledoves and 20,000 quails there will be no hunting season the following spring.

In a statement yesterday, the government said it would beef up manpower in the police administrative law enforcement unit, entrusted with the enforcement of hunting regulations.

Hunters who apply for a special licence will be given an identification armband, which has to be worn at all times. The legal notice was published on the same day the European hunters’ federation (FACE) ended a two-day members’ meeting in Malta.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, FACE chief executive Angus Middleton described the framework legislation that allowed spring hunting as “a very positive development”.

This development meant, he added, that hunting was possible in spring and what was wrong in previous years was the government’s application of the derogation.

The national bag limits established in the framework legislation have been contested by the Maltese federation, which deemed them unscientific. Asked about this matter, Mr Middleton said the issue would have to be studied and discussed in greater depth.

In its statement yesterday, the government said the Commission had made it clear that the bag limits agreed with Malta were the absolute maximum acceptable position.

Hunters can apply for a special spring hunting licence at all Maltapost branches on Monday and Tuesday.