Court decision enables turtle dove killing to legally go ahead

Judge Giovanni Grixti has rejected BirdLife Malta’s application for an injunction seeking to prevent the opening of spring hunting for turtle dove.

The conversation group’s injunction had been provisionally upheld until the court decision was delivered on Monday morning.

Today’s judgement means that the government can now issue a legal notice and officially open the spring hunting season for the turtle dove.

Last week, BirdLife Malta said that illegal hunting for the vulnerable species was already in full swing.

BirdLife ‘disappointed’

BirdLife Malta expressed its disappointment, saying the court’s decision appeared to solely rely on government reports.

Those reports by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit “conveniently ignore the real status of the vulnerable turtle dove”, the NGO said.

“The court disregarded all other scientific data from reputable institutions such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature”, BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana said.

The NGO announced it will share this outcome with the European Commission which initiated an infringement procedure against Malta in February.