SPRING HUNTING SUSTAINABILITY
- FKNK
- 15 minutes ago
- 4 min read

As in previous years, during the 2025 spring hunting season, the Federation for Hunting and Conservation – Malta (FKNK) carried out surveys to determine the 'sustainability index' of hunted birds. This year, the surveys were extended to include quail, besides turtle doves. The trappers who took part in the Turtle Dove 'Trapping' Research Programme, which was permitted for the first time this year, also took part in the turtle dove survey. The surveys were once again made possible through the voluntary participation of a number of FKNK hunter and trapper members, whom the FKNK would like to thank wholeheartedly for their contribution.
Logistics:
(i) The hunter and trapper FKNK Members who voluntarily participated in this year’s Study compiled the adequate Forms prepared by the FKNK, one for the hunters and another for the trappers and returned the Forms to the FKNK at the end of the seasons.
(ii) The Spring turtle doves hunting and research programme in 2025 ran on and in between 21 April and 4 May, from 2 hours before sunrise up to mid-day, with a national bag limit of 1500, while the quail hunting season was open on and in between 14 April and 4 May, with the same permissible hours as for turtle doves, with a national bag limit of 2400, by application of Derogations from the “Birds” Directive through the respective Legal Notices.
Study ResultsTurtle Doves:
(i) Average observed turtle doves per hunter and trapper in season = | 19.18 |
(ii) Average harvest and catch opportunity per hunter and trapper in season = | 3.25 |
(iii) Average harvest and capture per hunter and trapper in season = | 1.25 |
(iv) Average effort hours per hunter and trapper in season (the average effort hours per day in the Quail Results below, has been multiplied by 7, since since the turtle dove season was 7 days less than that for the quail and deducted from the total of these average effort Hours) = | 39.32 |
(v) Average observed turtle doves per hour per hunter and trapper = | 0.37 |
(vi) Average opportunity per hour per hunter and trapper = | 0.07 |
(vii) Average harvest or catch per hour per hunter and trapper = | 0.02 |
(viii) Average fraction of opportunity per hour harvested or caught per hunter and trapper = | 0.33 or 33% |
(ix) Sustainability Index: (average fraction of opportunities per hour per hunter and trapper that evaded harvest or capture) = | 0.67 or 67% |
Following 70% in 2022, 76% in 2023 and 66% in 2024, this year's Sustainability Index result of 67% is once again a strong indicator of the justifiable spring hunting of turtle doves on the Maltese Islands.
Study Results Quails:
(i) Average flushed/seen quails per hunter in season (4 quails seen by
the trappers have been deducted from the total seen since these were
not available for harvest) = 3.13
(ii) Average harvest opportunity per hunter in season, same as (i) above = 3.13
(iii) Average harvest per hunter in season = 1.71
(iv) Average effort hours per hunter in season = 59
(v) Average flushed quails per hour per hunter = 0.04
(vi) Average opportunity per hour per hunter (same as (v) above) = 0.04
(vii) Average harvest per hour per hunter = 0.02
(viii) Average fraction of opportunity per hour harvested per hunter = 0.53
or
53%
(ix) Sustainability Index - (average fraction of opportunities per hour per
hunter that evaded harvest) = 0.47
or
47%
One might think that the Sustainable Index of 47% for quail is too low, indicating that harvesting the birds is unsustainable. However, any quail hunter knows that a flushed quail is an 'easier' target due to the 'preannounced' presence by a pointing gun dog and the resulting 'close' shot. Therefore, the fact that 47% (almost half) of flushed quails evaded harvest, plus the unknown number that evaded flushing, still indicates sustainability, also given that all flushed quails are classified as an 'opportunity'.
FKNK members should realise by now that the FKNK has managed to negotiate and secure the traditional spring hunting season, thanks in part to the results of such scientific surveys and studies. Therefore, participation from more members is encouraged, since without these kinds of exercises, studies and projects that the FKNK continuously undertakes, spring hunting would no longer be permitted and would become a thing of the past. It would no longer be a Maltese socio-cultural traditional passion, but instead a part of Maltese history.
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