The Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) said Thursday that research shows that turtle dove hunting is sustainable.

The FKNK said that the result obtained from the data collected voluntarily by the organisation in September 2021, with regards to whether these birds are caught as adults or as babies, has showed that the autumn hunting season in Malta is in fact sustainable.

“This result, together with other studies and research carried out by the FKNK also led to the fact that after a five-year break, we had a turtle dove hunting season again in spring 2022,” the FKNK statement read.

The FKNK asked hunters to send an SMS on the number 99474503 during the hunting season in September 2022 whenever they catch a turtle dove, indicating whether it is an adult or a baby.

It said that one can make reference to the FKNK guide brochure to distinguish between an adult dove and a baby dove through this link.

The organisation said that the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) has left until the eve of the opening of the hunting season of September 2022, to publish a notice about the season on their Facebook page.

The notice detailed information regarding the quota of turtle doves which can be caught, the days and times when hunting is allowed, as well as obligations and responsibilities hunters must adhere to. The notice can be downloaded from this link.

The FKNK said that with the way the WBRU is operating, it does not promote good relations and cooperation between the WBRU and the hunters and trappers.