The Sicilian Regional Administrative Court has suspended the region's pre-season hunting period, giving migratory birds a safer passage through Sicily this autumn, BirdLife said.

The court action, supported by CABS, Green Impact, Federazione Nazionale Pro Natura and LEAL, challenged the decision to bring forward the hunting season, among other concerns due to a lack of sound scientific data on the risks facing migratory species.

Sicily and Malta are both important stops along the Mediterranean migration route between Europe and Africa.

If the Italian courts found the killing of the Turtle-dove in autumn unjustified, one can only imagine how much worse it is for spring hunting of this species, when it is about to breed, BirdLife said, a reference to its battle to have spring hunting abolished in Malta.

"This is a fight that BirdLife Malta has taken to court since 2022, challenging Malta's spring hunting seasons for Turtle-doves," BirdLife said. "Birds know no borders - their protection shouldn't either."