On the occasion of the inauguration of the Game & Country Expo 2019, launched by the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries, Clint Camilleri at the MFCC Grounds in Ta' Qali, the Federation for Hunting and Conservation - Malta (FKNK) released over 350 turtle doves into the wild, which had been bred in captivity by several members of the FKNK. 

The Parliamentary Secretary together with the FKNK President and two children symbolically released a turtle dove each before the main release. 

This was the third year of the FKNK project: "Turtle Doves - Captive Breeding and Release", since the project's launch in 2017 when over 400 turtle doves were released at Buskett Gardens, while in 2018 the release from the shooting ranges in Żebbuġ, Gozo, comprised over 700 birds. 

This year's released number was slightly lower than that of the previous years, because the FKNK had distributed several birds to its members for use as breeding-stock.  The FKNK makes several other turtle-dove releases on different occasions during the course of each year, such as at St. Julian's and Imnarja feasts' celebrations.

With the assistance of the Parliamentary Secretariat it is envisaged that later this year the FKNK will also set up its own main breeding aviary.  This is necessary so that the project's main objective, which is for the FKNK to be in possession of thousands of birds which it can release, is achievable within the next few years. 

Another paramount scope of the project is that the released amount can serve as a compensation measure for turtle doves that may be taken from the wild in the Maltese islands, the FKNK said.

In 2017, the FKNK organised a pool of locals who captive-breed turtle doves on a relatively large scale, who then sell the birds' stock offspring to the FKNK for eventual release into the wild. The species reproduces at a steady rate in captivity and large numbers in offspring are thus obtained and since a good number of the birds are being bought from different breeders, this ensures genetic diversity. 

This project, the FKNK said, serves as a means to perform ex-situ conservation of these birds by releasing captive bred specimen into the wild during the hunting closed season. 

This project constitutes the FKNK's concrete evidence' contribution towards the species conservation status in the wild and the released birds will augment the wild migrating population.