Italy Faces a De Facto Turtle Dove Hunting Ban in 2026

The European turtle dove has once again become one of the most sensitive species in EU hunting policy. In Italy, the debate has intensified after an analysis by Caccia Passione interpreted the latest European recommendations as pointing to a total de facto moratorium for the 2026/2027 hunting season.

The issue stems from the 2026 technical update to the EU’s adaptive harvest management mechanism for the turtle dove. Prepared for the Task Force on the Recovery of Birds, the document draws a clear distinction between two situations: a western flyway showing signs of recovery after several years of moratorium, and a central-eastern flyway where the population continues to decline.

Two migration routes, two very different outcomes

On the western flyway, the technical report notes four consecutive years of recovery and estimates that the breeding population in spring 2025 was higher than in previous years. On that basis, the EU system allows a very limited level of harvest, with quotas distributed among the countries and regions concerned.

For Italy, however, that margin appears almost impossible to apply in practice, according to Caccia Passione. The Italian quota cited by the outlet would be limited to the north-west of the country, specifically Liguria, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, and would amount to just 1,050 birds. Those regions had already chosen not to include the species in their hunting calendars, further reducing any real possibility of a harvest.

The situation is different on the central-eastern flyway, which affects much of Italy. The European technical update concludes that the conditions for allowing hunting are not met on this route because the population trend remains negative. In that scenario, the EU recommendation is prelievo zero, meaning no harvest.

The political argument: uneven conservation burdens

The significance of the Italian case goes beyond the closure of a game species. It raises a wider question over how conservation burdens are shared between countries, regions and productive sectors when dealing with migratory birds. The turtle dove does not recognise administrative borders, but restrictions, controls, farming obligations and hunting calendars are set through national and regional decisions.

The Italian sector analysis argues that the burden falls disproportionately on Italian territory and its agricultural sector, while other parts of the migration routes have applied different or less consistent measures. That is the political core of the case: turtle dove conservation is no longer only a matter of quotas, but also one of international coordination, compliance and consistency between countries.

The European Commission presents the turtle dove as a reference case for the recovery of huntable species in poor conservation status under the Birds Directive. The approach combines scientific monitoring, habitat work, hunting regulation and control systems. But the gap between recovery in the west and decline on the central-eastern route shows that the model depends on comparable and verifiable measures across the entire migratory corridor.