The so called Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) mechanism and Terms of Reference for the Task Force on the recovery of bird species, in which the Turtle Dove features prominently, are priority topics on the European Commission’s “Expert Group on the Nature Directives” (NADEG) Agenda.
In simple terms the AHM sets a hunting bag quota for a species and when and if that monitored quota is reached the hunting season for that particular species is closed.
In 2021 NADEG consented to an annual bag quota of 2000 turtle doves for Malta, out of which, since then, Malta set the September (turtle dove autumn open hunting season) bag quota at 500 birds, which figure had never been taken during any September prior to 2021. However, on 11 September 2021, on 20 September 2023 and on 12 September 2024 the 500 mark was taken and so the turtle doves hunting season was closed on both respective dates.
In the Federation for Hunting and Conservation – Malta (FKNK) opinion this real-time monitored hunting season constitutes a small-scale AHM programme for the turtle dove, besides clearly substantiating an increase in the number of turtle doves migrating over the Maltese islands in recent years.
Finally, hunters should be aware that whereas the turtle dove September 2024 hunting season is closed, the hunting season, including the respective reporting obligations, for other huntable species such as the quail, stays open.
Comments