Malta’s hunting season for the European Turtle-dove has been closed after this year’s national autumn quota was reached.
The Minister responsible for the environment subsequently issued notice that hunting for Turtle-dove must cease with immediate effect. Maltese law establishes a national autumn quota of 500 Turtle-doves, with the season normally allowed to run between 1 and 30 September unless the quota is reached earlier.
The wider autumn hunting season, however, remains open for Common Quail and other legally huntable species, subject to the applicable restrictions and hunting calendar. Malta’s 2026 autumn hunting season opened on 1 September and runs until 31 January, with hunting permitted for 40 species from land and 12 species at sea.
Illegalities have meanwhile continued to be reported during this year’s autumn hunting season, including serious allegations of hunters shooting protected species and using illegal equipment.
Earlier today, hunters in Selmun were also alleged to have fired in the direction of a dog walker, in one of the more serious incidents reported since the season opened.
The Malta Ranger Unit has also reported an increase in hunting-related illegalities, including reports of shooting close to built-up areas. Earlier this month, the Rangers reported more than ten dead protected Collared Doves in Mtarfa, while in another case a hunter was fined after being caught using an illegal electronic bird caller in Rabat.
According to BirdLife International’s latest State of the World’s Birds report, published on Friday, 45% of migratory bird species are in decline and one in nine is threatened with extinction. BirdLife identified unsustainable hunting alongside climate change, agricultural intensification and invasive species as major drivers of decline. BirdLife Malta said the findings give Malta particular responsibility because the islands lie along one of the Mediterranean’s most important migratory routes.
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