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Ammon News - by Hana Namrouqa/ Jordan Times

AMMAN — The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) on Wednesday announced that the hunting season for two kinds of doves starts on Friday.

The hunting of turtle and rock doves is restricted to the Jordan Valley, according to an RSCN official.

“Based on the wildlife committee’s recommendation, the hunting of both dove species is open until mid-September and only in Ghor areas. In addition, each hunter is only allowed to hunt 15 birds of each kind,” said Abdul Razzaq Hmoud, acting director of RSCN’s conservation and hunting regulation section.

Turtle doves are migratory birds that cross the country and nest, while rock doves are habitants of Jordan and are found around the year, Hmoud added.

“Restricting hunting activities to the Jordan Valley is linked to the end of the mating and nesting season of the two birds in that area,” he said, noting that the end of the mating and nesting season is related to temperatures and available food.

The society urged hunters to abide by its regulations to sustain hunting activities in the country and preserve wild birds and animals.

Under RSCN regulations, those who hunt outside the allotted period are fined JD100 and sentenced to one week in prison, while those who kill endangered species, such as falcons, are fined JD2,000 and handed four-month prison terms.

In addition, violators’ weapons are seized, according to the RSCN.

Around 4,000 out of an estimated 7,000 hunters in the Kingdom are registered with the society, the RSCN said.

The location of hunting activities changes according to the season, with hunters mainly active in the Jordan Valley, mountainous areas and the eastern desert, according to the society.

In 1973, the government gave the RSCN, an independent nonprofit NGO, a mandate to regulate hunting and protect the Kingdom’s wildlife.