We applaud the temporary ban on Turtle-dove hunting recently announced by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Action as a protection measure for the species. The decision bans Turtle-dove hunting in the 2021-2022 season, in an attempt to enable the recovery of this species whose populations in Europe have suffered an 80% decline in the past 40 years, and which also shows evidence of steep decline in Portugal since the beginning of the 90s.
This temporary ban is the result of years of joint work and discussion between environmental organisations, authorities and hunters’ associations, both in Portugal and internationally.
Spain and France also suspended Turtle-dove hunting this season, following the findings of the European species recovery plan. In a process that involved institutions from the Member States, environmental organisations and hunters’ organisations, last March this working group concluded that the level of Turtle-dove populations in Western Europe is so low that any hunting effort is unsustainable.
Many hunters are in favour of the temporary ban on Turtle-dove hunting, and understand the need for it. In Portugal, together with our partners from the C6 Coalition for Environment and Nature, in 2019 we signed a memorandum of understanding with national hunting associations and with the relevant public institutions, which led to a step-wise decrease in the hunting periods for this species. However, and as we have been warning for several years, the Turtle-dove’s situation has become so dire that suspending hunting became unavoidable.
This temporary ban on hunting could allow for a faster recovery of Turtle-dove populations, speeding up the return to a situation where the species can once again be hunted in Portugal. For this to happen, it will be crucial to implement efficient habitat restoration and management measures, as well as a rigorous monitoring of the species and its threats, both in Portugal and internationally.
More information
- The law (Portaria n.º 168-A/2021)
- Turtle-dove situation in Europe
- Common Bird Census Report (in Portuguese)
- Memorandum to decrease Turtle-dove hunting (2019, in Portuguese)
