Israeli Environment Minister Yet to Renew Hunting Ban on Endangered Turtle Dove and Quail

The temporary regulations banning hunting of the endangered turtle dove and migratory quail in Israel are set to expire in just over a week, but Environment Minister Idit Silman has yet to sign an extension. Since 2020, hunting these two species has been prohibited to protect them from extinction. The initial emergency order was signed by former Minister Gila Gamliel in 2020, followed by a three-year extension by former Minister Tamar Zandberg in 2021. Minister Silman had continued the ban but has not yet renewed it this year despite the deadline approaching at the end of the month.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority has repeatedly urged Minister Silman to extend the hunting ban, amid ongoing disputes over her efforts to classify the crocodile as a protected wild animal. The authority has expressed professional opposition to her plans to relocate crocodiles to Ktziot Prison, which also contradicts the ministry’s legal advisor. Environmental groups including the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and Green Now have appealed to Silman to renew the order and eventually remove these species entirely from the list of huntable animals through legislative changes.

Research published by the Nature and Parks Authority in 2020 highlighted a decline in migratory quail populations breeding in Israel. According to BirdLife International, over 1.5 million migratory quails die annually due to illegal hunting, representing up to 27% of the global population, threatening the species’ survival. Recent data from the National Biodiversity Assessment Program (Ma'arev) shows an 81% drop in the abundance of turtle doves breeding in Israel. International conservation action plans recommend halting hunting to prevent global extinction of the turtle dove. Environmental organizations emphasize that Israel should not permit hunting of endangered species to avoid their extinction.