End of spring hunting

European court puts end to spring hunting in Malta, Wild Life Extra reports:

Malta has finally been forced to comply with European bird protection laws, following a landmark ruling 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.

On joining the European Union in 2004, Malta agreed to abide by European law, including those protecting birds. But, defying Brussels, Malta allowed the islands' hunters to continue shooting quail and turtle dove during their spring migration. Indeed, it was only a previous order by the European Court of Justice that encouraged Malta to introduce a temporary ban on spring hunting in 2008. This has been in force during the last two spring hunting seasons.

BirdLife International, BirdLife Malta and the RSPB state that following this decision, 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, under conditions laid out in the EU Birds Directive..

Grahame Madge, of the RSPB, said: "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 will remove a significant threat from these birds that are already struggling for survival for other reasons, such as intensive agriculture in Europe."...