The Ornis committee will meet again tomorrow – for the second time in the space of a week – to discuss a proposal, by the hunting federation, to lift a moratorium on the hunting of turtle dove during the upcoming spring hunting season.

The FKNK pitched its proposal last week, but the committee members felt that they should go over the idea at length because they hadn’t had enough time to go over the report.

On the other hand, the committee recommended that a quail hunting season be opened between 10 and 30 April. Only the representatives of Birdlife Malta and the Environment and Resources Authority voted against the proposal.

Birdlife immediately pointed out that the proposed dates – which will almost certainly be approved by the government (they always are) – coincide directly with the peak migration for turtle doves. The organisation says that the quail hunting season will serve as a smokescreen for the killing of turtle doves, which will be migrating over the Maltese Islands en masse.

Sources also pointed out to this newsroom that the dates chosen for this year’s season were questionable because they were shifted back by a whole ten days, thus coinciding with peak turtle dove migration. Last year, the spring hunting season ran between 1 and 20 April. It was explained to this newsroom that the peak migration season for turtle dove usually comes during the last third of April.

To make matters worse, FKNK is proposing that the shooting of turtle doves should be open on the same days – between 10 and 30 April. Now with the way things work in this country, with a reporting system that has failed miserably and with enforcement that is lacking, turtle doves passing over Malta on their way to their breeding grounds up north would surely be flying into a bloodbath.

The Ornis committee members know this – they are the experts on the subject after all. We hope that common sense prevails for once, and the members either decide not to allow hunting for turtle dove or at least move the dates (for the hunting of both species) to a period where less harm can be done. This newspaper has been consistent in its opposition to hunting in general, so we would prefer the first option.

The debate has so far been limited to the shooting of quail and turtle dove, but one must not forget that many other species of birds, all of which are protected, will be passing over the Maltese islands during the spring. So while one may argue that the quail season might serve as a smokescreen for the shooting of turtle dove, one may also assume that it will serve as a smokescreen for the shooting of protected birds. We say this not to be pessimistic but because this is a reality in Malta.

The figures for the last autumn hunting season speak for themselves – over 60 protected species were reported shot during that period of time, and who knows how many cases go unreported.

Our appeal is two-fold. Firstly we appeal to the Ornis committee to take stock of the situation, look at recent-past experiences and say no to the hunting of turtle doves. Secondly, we appeal to the relevant authorities, including to the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for the sector, who is himself a hunter, to ensure that enforcement is truly stepped up and illegalities curbed. We have heard these promises over and over throughout the years, but the situation in the field has only deteriorated. In fact, there have already been a number of illegalities before the season even opened.

Instead of fearing hunters before the upcoming European Elections, our politicians should respect the wishes of the far greater nature-loving majority.