Turtle doves to be shot for sport as EU lifts hunting ban

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🗞️ Driving the news: The EU has lifted a ban on hunting turtle doves in Spain, France, and Italy, allowing a quota of 132,000 birds to be shot despite conservation warnings
• The ban, in place since 2021, had led to a 40.5% population rise in western Europe
• The European Commission says conditions for sustainable hunting have now been met

🔭 The context: Turtle doves are still classed as vulnerable to extinction globally and remain critically endangered in the UK
• While hunters argue the recovery justifies a resumption, conservationists say enforcement and habitat restoration have lagged, making the decision “reckless and shortsighted”
• Only Estonia and BirdLife Europe opposed the EU’s decision

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The decision risks reversing hard-won gains for a migratory species already in peril due to habitat loss and climate disruption
• Conservationists warn that EU-sanctioned hunting sends the wrong signal while illegal killings persist in areas like Greece and Malta
• The UK’s fragile turtle dove population, which depends on safe migration routes, could suffer further setbacks

⏭️ What's next: Spain, France, and Italy will manage national quotas under the new system, with Spain allowed to shoot over 100,000 birds
• Conservation groups are urging the European Commission to reverse the decision and focus on protecting habitats and enforcing rules
• Meanwhile, UK efforts like Operation Turtle Dove continue to bolster domestic breeding sites

💬 One quote: “The turtle dove did its part. Left alone, it started to recover. But governments failed to uphold their end of the deal.” — Barbara Herrero, BirdLife Europe

📈 One stat: The western European turtle dove population rose by 615,000 breeding pairs since the 2021 ban—an increase of 40.5%

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