Conservationists criticize Greece for allowing hunting of European turtle dove
The Hellenic Ornithological Society is up in arms after the Environment Ministry once more gave the green light for the hunting of the European turtle dove, a species that has been classified as endangered since 2019 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Accusing the ministry of pandering to hunters in a recent announcement, the bird conservation group noted that Spain and France, which like Greece are important corridors on the European turtle dove’s migratory path, have instituted protections in the past three years that have already resulted in a rebound.
It added that the ministry’s only concession to conservation concerns, limiting the number of turtle doves that can be hunted in the season from 120,000 to 35,000, ignored European Union recommendations for a complete ban, as even reducing the licensed number by 90% would be incapable of reversing the species’ demise.
