Spring hunting for quail started two weeks ago, which, as the Committee Against Bird Slaughter pointed out, is during the migratory birds’ return to their breeding grounds.

CABS stated that however “even this is not enough for many hunters. Illegal electronic decoys can be found all over the landscape, luring the animals in front of their shotguns with the song of the now rare bird.”

The organisation explained that the devices, which run at night, are equipped with timers and usually fall silent by 6am at the latest. “Since the shift of the environmental police EPU does not start until 5:30am, the illegal quail hunters have an easy time.”

In one case, however, CABS said that they were “able to shut down at least one of the callers – it apparently had a faulty timer and was found playing near the coastal cliffs of the Fomm ir -Rih in the west of the island in broad daylight.”

The police officers called to the site were able to seize the entire installation, CABS said. “On another occasions in a joint operation with BirdLife Malta, two callers were confiscated by police.”

Photos: CABS Facebook

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