Скачать или смотреть Spring Hunting Season 2022

In 2022, the Maltese Government decided to lift a moratorium on the spring hunting of European Turtle-dove (Gamiema), with a season opening on this Vulnerable species from 17th to 30th April. A total of 8,041 hunters applied to hunt a national bag limit of 1,500 birds. The season opened from as early as the 10th April with hunters supposedly only hunting Common Quail before the 17th April.

Our Spring Watch 2022 camp started off on the 11th April, with teams of staff and volunteers monitoring the countryside for illegalities.

During the period 10th to 30th April, thanks to the efforts of our Spring Watch camp, just over 208 illegal hunting incidents were recorded throughout Malta and Gozo.

During this period, members of the public handed over to BirdLife Malta a total of 18 shot birds belonging to 15 protected species. At least another 16 shot birds were recovered by police. These are just indicative of the scale of illegal killing of birds that happened under the guise of a derogation to the EU Birds Directive.

We would like to thank both our international and local volunteers who have helped us expose this failure of a derogation.

This is a summary of what was recorded during these three weeks by an average of just three teams out daily.

Footage by BirdLife Malta. Editing by Nathaniel Attard.