Rangers from the Malta Ranger Unit team in Gozo have been monitoring illegal trapping during the night.

The MRU said that several Golden Plover trapping sites had illegal electronic bird callers on. “One of the sites that the Victoria Police were asked to check, after a report by our Rangers, had mist nets and were confiscated.”

In Malta, MRU said its Rangers have for several days monitored a site in Zurrieq that had extremely loud illegal electronic callers for Golden Plover. “We had a large amount of reports for this site due to people not being able to sleep.”

The Rangers said that shortly after 4:00am, when it is prohibited to trap, the Zurrieq District Police was called to assist. “They successfully managed to catch the trapper red-handed illegally trapping during closed hours, and with illegal electronic callers.”

“The trapper will now be prosecuted and risk losing his license, as well as a hefty fine,” the MRU said.

The Malta Ranger Unit said that trapping is only allowed 2 hours before sunrise until 2 hours after sunset and electronic callers are forbidden by law (S.L. 549.42. “The only exception is for finch callers.”

Photo: MRU

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