Court ruling protects migrating European Turtle-doves in Sicily
A Palermo court has suspended Sicily's 2026-27 hunting calendar, removing September pre-opening days during the species' autumn passage.
A court in Sicily has halted the region's proposed early start to the 2026-27 hunting season, giving migrating European Turtle-doves protection during their autumn passage across the Mediterranean island.
The Sicilian Regional Administrative Court, known as the TAR, issued its order on 27 July following an appeal brought by Federazione Nazionale Pro Natura and LEAL, with support from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and Green Impact.
The environmental organisations challenged the hunting calendar approved by the Sicilian Regional Government, which provided for pre-opening hunting days from 2 September ahead of the general opening of the season on 20 September.
According to the organisations, the court accepted the concerns raised in their appeal and suspended the disputed calendar pending a full hearing on 20 October. The immediate effect is to remove the pre-season hunting period, covering an important part of the autumn migration.
The pre-season hunting period has been abolished, and this will benefit wild turtle doves.
CABS, LEAL, Pro Natura and Green Impact
The groups argued that Sicily had again sought to permit hunting of species in poor conservation condition without adequate scientific justification. They said the regional decision was affected by weaknesses in its preliminary assessment, a lack of sound scientific data and an absence of authoritative supporting evidence.
They also highlighted Sicily's lack of an up-to-date wildlife management and hunting plan, which the press release says has now been absent for eight years despite being required under Italian and European law.
European Turtle-dove is listed as Vulnerable globally and has undergone rapid declines across much of its European range. The long-distance migrant breeds across Europe and western Asia before travelling through the Mediterranean to wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sicily is one of the principal migration routes linking Europe and Africa. Large numbers of birds cross the Strait of Messina and move through the island's coastal wetlands each spring and autumn, making the timing of hunting seasons particularly important for migratory species.
CABS has also criticised the level of wildlife law enforcement in Sicily, arguing that the region lacks dedicated and sufficiently specialised surveillance units despite the scale of migration and the continuing problem of illegal killing.
In its announcement, CABS described the decision as a potentially important legal precedent for challenging similar pre-opening provisions elsewhere in Italy. Because the main hearing will not take place until 20 October, the interim order is expected to protect birds throughout the principal September migration period.
The case will return to the Sicilian Regional Administrative Court for a decision on the merits of the appeal on 20 October.
31 Jul 2026
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