Birdlife Refuses To Return Confiscated Hunting Guns

These guns have been confiscated by the police after hunters failed to produce the suitable documentation upon request. The spring hunting season started in the middle of April and ended in the end of the previous month. The hunting federation felt that the police action was draconian, claiming that in the past, hunters were always given two days in order to produce their necessary documentation.

Birdlife says that no derogations should be permitted for the spring hunting of the species that have unfavorable conservation status, like turtle doves and quails. If we were to look at this year’s derogation, hunters were allowed to shoot up to 2,500 quails and 9,000 turtle doves. In addition, hunters also have individual bag limits, meaning that they are permitted to take down one bird per day, and a maximum of four in the entire season.

This bird conservation group accused the Prime Minister of accepting the demands of the hunting federation and insisted that the government was forced to ensure strict conditions of enforcement as a basic necessity of this derogation to hunt during this spring.

This year, about 5,600 hunters applied for the spring hunting license.