The Committee Against Birds Slaughter has said that although its team has only been in action for a week “ten bird trappers had already been convicted.”

CABS went on to say that they had found 15 illegal trapping sites for finches and other songbirds and reported them to the authorities.

The organisation went on to explain that the clap-nets, which can be up to 20 metres long, are released by hand from a trapping hut and are baited with live decoys, seed or a drinking trough.

CABS added that during joint operations with the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU), 10 bird trappers were caught red-handed, and 43 freshly caught birds and decoys were confiscated. 2 illegal electronic decoy callers were also seized.

“Trapping finches such as greenfinches, chaffinches, linnets, hawfinches and siskins is a big business in Malta that costs thousands of wild birds their freedom every year,” CABS said. “They are sold on the black market for around €100 each.

CABS concluded by saying that its teams will be on the ground until “the beginning of May to shut down illegal trapping sites and monitor the spring hunting season, which begins in April.”

Photos by CABS: CABS activists on patrol; Greenfinch in a decoy cage and Police confiscating a clap-net from an illegal trapping site

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