The so-called “sustainability index” published by the Federation for Hunting and Trapping – Malta (FKNK), which attempts to present spring hunting as sustainable, lacks any scientific credibility and is nothing more than misleading and dangerous claims for the future of wild birds. It is also an insult to everyone in Europe who has studied Turtle-doves using established scientific methods.
The survey, entirely conducted by FKNK itself, is based on voluntary forms filled in by hunters, with no independent supervision. This creates a clear conflict of interest and raises serious doubts about the reliability of the results.
The method used – measuring sustainability as the percentage of birds not shot – is unscientific and provides no insight into already declining populations. A bird escaping a hunter’s shot does not mean the species is being preserved. True sustainability is assessed through long-term studies of populations at different stages of the Turtle-dove lifecycle.
FKNK does not disclose how many hunters participated, whether the sample was representative, or how the data were analysed. Basic scientific tools such as statistical tests, error margins, or confidence intervals are missing, leaving results open to manipulation. In conclusion, this study has no scientific value and only demonstrates FKNK’s completely amateurish approach to science.
Despite these shortcomings, the survey is being used as a lobbying tool to justify policies that put Turtle-doves and Quail at greater risk, contrary to Malta’s obligations under the EU Birds Directive. It is also being used to divert attention from two contentious issues facing the upcoming hunting season.
Firstly, the EU Task Force on the Recovery of Birds has recommended halting Turtle-dove hunting throughout the whole year across the entire flyway, which Malta continues to ignore. Secondly, there is a complete lack of control over hunting bags, with less than 8% of hunters reporting their catches, undermining any attempt to determine how many Turtle-doves and Quail are being killed unsustainably.
BirdLife Malta urges authorities and the public not to be misled by these claims. Real conservation must be based on science and the protection of endangered species, not lobbying. “FKNK should instead focus its efforts on encouraging its members to observe the law, including reporting what they actually catch and moving away from widespread unsustainable and illegal practices, such as using electronic bird callers to artificially increase hunting success,” said BirdLife Malta Head of Conservation Nicholas Barbara.
“FKNK are trying to embark on the belief that a lie continuously repeated might be taken as the truth, but BirdLife Malta is adamant to make sure the truth is told,” added BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana. “The Turtle-dove as stated by credible scientific institutions is in a vulnerable status, is declining and in need of protection.”
Read our press release in Maltese here.
