Today’s shock decision by the Cyprus government to permit shooting of Turtle Dove this spring poses an unacceptable threat to a declining species and is indefensible under the EU Birds Directive, say conservationists throughout Europe.

The Cyprus government’s decision will allow for European Turtle Dove, a species declining across Europe, to be shot in certain coastal areas for two days during May (on Sunday May 6 and Wednesday May 9).

Spring hunting is prohibited by EU law under the Birds Directive, in order to protect wild birds during their migration from Africa back to breeding grounds in Europe. This protects migratory birds in the few weeks before they are about to breed.

BirdLife International in Brussels informed the European Commission about this development and is to ask Commissioner Dimas for an immediate and firm reaction, asking the Cypriot government to revoke this decision.

BirdLife Malta Executive director Tolga Temuge said “Malta is clearly setting a terrible example for other nations in the region. The irresponsible actions of the Maltese government are encouraging others to defy the EU Law. We believe that after Cyprus’s decision to allow spring shooting, the European Commission will have to step up its legal action against Malta and put an end once and for all to this wild life crime.”

Following Malta’s path Cyprus is expected to claim that there is “no other satisfactory solution” other than to allow this hunting under derogation because local hunters do not have sufficient opportunity to shoot Turtle Doves during the annual autumn shooting season. However official government figures show that between 19,000 and 30,000 Turtle Doves are shot in Cyprus each autumn, which suggests local hunters do have an alternative.

Also, according to European Court decision C-182/02 and since the Turtle Dove is a species with an unfavourable conservation status in Europe (SPEC 3), the “judicious use” clause cannot be satisfied, because hunting (in spring) under a derogation would fail to secure the maintenance of the population of a specific species at a satisfactory level, BirdLife said.

“It seems that the Maltese politicians, through their shameless appeasement of the local hunter’s lobby, are now inspiring fellow politicians in the region to break European Union law in a similar fashion. Malta has irresponsibly been threatening one of Europe’s most effective conservation legislations, namely the Birds Directive, by allowing spring hunting since 2004. The domino effect, if other Mediterranean countries follow suit, can be disastrous for the wild life conservation efforts through out Europe if the Commission does not put an end to it immediately.” Temuge concluded.