Turtle-Dove hunting season opens despite ongoing illegalities

The European Turtle Dove is now considered one of Europe’s most threatened bird species, having suffered a dramatic population decline of up to 80% over the past four decades. Classified as vulnerable globally and effectively endangered across much of Europe, the species has been pushed to the brink due to habitat loss, intensive agriculture and continued hunting pressure along its migration routes. Despite this, hunting of the Turtle Dove remains permitted in certain countries under strict quotas, a policy that continues to draw criticism from conservationists and EU institutions, who argue that allowing the killing of a rapidly declining species undermines broader efforts to protect biodiversity across the continent.