Spring hunting in Malta
Migratory birds make their epic journey twice a year: in autumn the birds migrate south, in spring they return to their breeding grounds. In the past, hunters used both opportunities to hunt the birds. The difference between the two times lies in the number and "quality" of the migrating birds: in autumn it is not only the breeding birds, but also their young and thus a larger number. Many of them die over the course of winter, so that in spring only a small group of survivors return north: all birds that then fly north are breeding birds and important for the preservation of the population. Each bird killed in spring means one less breeding pair and therefore no offspring. For this reason, hunting migratory birds returning to breed in spring is strictly prohibited in the EU.
Malta is the only country in the EU that opposes this regulation. Since joining the European Union, the country has authorised quail and turtle hunting every spring for two or three weeks. Turtle dove hunting was banned in 2017 but astonishingly, re-opened this spring with a national bag limit of 1,500 birds. The EU Birds Directive allows exemptions from all rules if there is "no other satisfactory solution" to a situation. Malta's government takes the view that there is no other "satisfactory" solution for spring hunting, because the allegedly weak passage of quails (and turtle doves) makes successful autumn hunting impossible. With this legally and highly questionable justification Malta has once again managed to push this tradition through.
The real reason for the spring hunt is of course that the hunters want to hunt at every available opportunity. They are mainly interested in the coveted Turtle Dove, which not only tastes good, but is also considered a "challenging target" due to its fast flight. The turtle dove is now threatened with extinction all over the continent - not least because of hunting - between 2017 - 2022 spring hunting was banned, even with a special derogation permit. So only quail were permitted during spring hunting on Malta. The government has set the hunting season so cleverly that it covers not only the migratory season of the quail, but also that of the turtle doves, which migrate much later. Most shots are fired when the turtle doves are migrating and only where they rest - in the eucalyptus groves that have been established all over Malta for turtle doves.
There was a referendum on spring hunting in Malta in 2015. In this referendum, 50.44% of the voters were in favour of maintaining spring hunting, 49.56% were against it.
Spring hunting for turtle dove is expected to open again in Malta no later than 21 April 2025. Between 21st - 30th April a national bag limit of 1,500 birds is set for 8,041 registered hunters. Of course the true number of birds slaughtered will be much higher.