“Contrary to EU law and despite ongoing proceedings by the EU before the European Court of Justice, Malta has once again allowed songbird trapping this autumn,” the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said on Tuesday.

CABS stated that “although the bird trappers do not have sufficient authorisation, they are happily trapping in unauthorised sites.”

CABS said its teams have caught 19 poachers at two dozen such “illegal trapping sites in recent weeks – during which the police seized 26 clap-nets and confiscated 217 birds, including linnets, siskins, chaffinches and hawfinches.”Finches can be caught with clap-nets at a staggering number of 3,364 registered trapping sites across Malta and Gozo, CABS said.

It went on to say that the perpetrators are not “poachers” but have been “unceremoniously appointed scientists by the government to `analyse’ the captured birds.”

“This of course is just a smokescreen by the hunting lobby who want to secure a good deal for their members who trade the birds on the black market,” stated CABS.

The CABS autumn bird protection camp in Malta has now come to an end – however CABS said it will soon turn its attention to monitoring golden plover trapping.

Photos: CABS – Unregistered trapping site found and dismantled by CABS together with police on Gozo; Finches seized from an illegal trapping site on Malta

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