Quail hunting season to start on Monday, as legal battle over turtle dove loomsPhoto: Shutterstock

A spring hunting season for quail is set to open on Monday, as a legal battle to decide whether hunting for turtle doves should be allowed remains unresolved.  A legal notice published on Thursday formally issued the derogation for quail hunting, with the season expected to last from April 10 to April 30, or until the national bag limit of 2,400 birds is reached.  The set bag limit is the total number of quail that is permitted to be hunted collectively by all licensed hunters and once this is reached, no further hunting may take place.  Hunting shall be permitted from two hours before sunrise until noon during this period, including on both the starting and end dates, unless the minister responsible, in this case, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, orders the termination of the spring hunting season.  In a statement on Saturday, hunting federation FKNK said that it expected hunters to “strictly observe” the relative laws and regulations, including reporting directions set out in the license document.  It added that it hopes that guidelines about reporting are published soon.  The season is set to open as a legal battle on whether the same hunting season should be opened for turtle...