European Court Puts End to Spring Hunting In Malta

Malta has finally been forced to comply with European bird protection laws.

This follows a landmark ruling last week by the European Court of Justice, which has declared that Malta has been breaching European law by allowing the spring hunting of quail and turtle dove passing through the islands on migration.

When Malta joined the European Union in 2004, it agreed to abide by European law, including those protecting birds.

But, despite this, Malta allowed the islands’ hunters to continue shooting quail and turtle dove during their spring migration – a time when they are most vulnerable as they migrate from Africa.

The Maltese islands are located on a key migration route across the Mediterranean. A recent study analysing bird ringing recoveries in Malta, showed that birds originating from over 36 European countries, including the UK, have a connection with Malta.

In many parts of Europe, including the UK, the turtle dove and quail are declining rapidly. Allowing these species to pass over Malta in spring, in safety, removes a significant threat from these birds – birds that are already struggling for survival for other reasons, including intensive agriculture in Europe.

Following the ruling the Maltese government must now make the spring hunting of quail and turtle dove permanently illegal. However, hunting in autumn can continue for these and a number of other species.

It was only due to the hard work of BirdLife and its UK partner the RSPB that the case was brought to the European Court of Justice. It’s great, among so much bad news for wildlife and biodiversity, to have a good news story.

Images: Denis Cachia and BLM (rspb-images.com)