Spring Dove Shoot in Violation of EU Law

Spring Dove Shoot in Violation of EU Law

 
May 2007 -   Hunters in Cyprus took aim at 
European turtle doves today as they flew across the island nation from 
Africa on their way to breeding grounds in Europe. Hunting of these 
migratory birds was allowed for two days by the Cyprus government in a 
decision that infuriated European conservationists. 
The Cyprus government announced Friday that it would allow hunting of the 
declining species in certain coastal areas today and on Sunday May 6. 
Conservationists called the decision "indefensible" under the European 
law. 
"It will be a case of targeting a threatened bird species at the most 
vulnerable stage of its life-cycle," said Executive Manager of BirdLife 
Cyprus Martin Hellicar, from the organization's headquarters in Nicosia. 
"These threatened doves will be hit as they pass through Cyprus at the 
tail-end of their long migration from Africa to their breeding grounds in 
mainland Europe, said Hellicar. 
Cypriot officials claim that the country’s thousands of hunters have too 
little chance to kill these birds in the autumn shooting season. Yet, 
between 19,000 and 30,000 turtle doves are being killed in Cyprus in 
August and September, according to government figures. 
A European turtle dove, Streptopelia turtur, on a wire in Belgium (Photo 
by Charly Farinelle courtesy Aves Belgium)
Spring hunting is prohibited by an EU law known as the Birds Directive in 
order to protect wild birds during their migration from Africa to Europe. 
The turtle doves migrate 3,000 miles each way. 
"The EU Birds Directive bans shooting during migration towards nesting 
areas in order to ensure birds can successfully produce young to replenish 
their numbers," Hellicar said. 
International Director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 
Alistair Gammell, said, "The EU must leave the Cypriot government in no 
doubt that playing fast and loose with EU laws and the future of this 
species is unacceptable. Too many of these birds are already being 
slaughtered every year and surely, now, we are living in an age when such 
barbaric practices should be consigned to history." 
The European turtle dove is listed by the IUCN-World Conservation Union on 
the Birds of Conservation Concern Red List. The species is protected in 
the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. 
The small dove has dark black and chestnut upper parts with a white belly 
and pink breast. The flight is characterized by flickering wing beats 
interspersed by short glides. The scientific name turtur comes from its 
soft 'turr turr' call. 
The turtle dove is declining in many parts of Europe, although it is still 
common and widespread in the lowlands of central and southern Europe. 
As a long-distance migrant, the turtle dove faces threats from hunting. It 
is heavily shot in France and on the Iberian peninsula. Tens of thousands 
of birds are also shot in their wintering areas, mainly in Senegal, and 
many more are killed on migration through Morocco. 
BirdLife International in Brussels has informed the European Commission 
about the situation in Cyprus and intends to request "immediate and firm" 
action by Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas. 
"This step by Cyprus represents a serious and unacceptable infringement of 
European law, and BirdLife International will ask national governments and 
EU decision makers to express their protest to the Cypriot government," 
said Konstantin Kreiser, EU Policy Manager at BirdLife in Brussels. 
"This decision represents a very serious step backwards for both bird 
conservation and hunting in Cyprus. We are not opposed to legal, 
sustainable hunting - but this is not what we are faced with here." said 
Hellicar. 
Malta, another EU country which permits spring hunting, is currently the 
subject of legal action from the European Commission. Kreiser says Cyprus 
might also face a European Court case.    

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