S.L. 549.57 Art. 3Spring hunting season.

For the purposes of the second proviso to regulation 10(6)

of the Wild Birds Regulations and for the purposes of these regulations, the period for the hunting of turtledove and quail, hereinafter in these regulations referred to as "the spring hunting season", shall be a maximum of three weeks which may commence in

March or in April of the year for which the Minister may decide to open the spring hunting season by means of a notice in the Gazette: Provided that the Minister shall not open the spring hunting season when the hunting for the two species concerned during the previous autumn hunting season may be considered as having constituted a satisfactory solution in terms of Article 9(1) of Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds, and taking into consideration the thresholds established in Annex I:

Provided further that, when establishing the duration of any Spring Hunting Season, the Minister shall also take into consideration the size of the bag limit to be allowed for that particular spring hunting derogation, and may also decide on whether he shall establish the daily bag limit for each licence and the seasonal bag limit for each licence to be allowed for that particular Spring hunting season.