On Wednesday afternoon, during the closed trapping season, the Malta Ranger Unit said that its team in Gozo reported two active finch trapping sites, which were located next to each other, to the Gozo Police.

The MRU said that “exact coordinates were given to the Officers, yet they went to a different area far away, leading to one of the poachers spotting them and fleeing from the site.”

“Whilst Officers slowly made their way up to the second site, the two other poachers (as seen in the video) noticed the Police and started to pack up and walk off,” said the MRU. “Obviously the poachers took their time and escaped successfully, or so they thought.”

However, the Rangers said that they “have identified the trappers and they will face legal actions for their crimes.”

The MRU stated that “as long as Gozo has zero specially trained Environmental Protection Unit Police failed cases for environmental crimes will unfortunately be the norm in Gozo.”

According to the MRU, “many Gozo Officers are seemingly not trained to understand how to enter coordinates into Google maps, leading to environmental criminals escaping easily.”

“We highlighted this with the Superintendent in Gozo over a year ago and we were promised a solution, yet until today’s date our reminders are being ignored,” said the MRU.

The MRU added that “trapping outside of season is a crime as per SL.549.42. The Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri, also in charge of the Wild Birds Regulations, remains silent on the topic of poaching and the fact that his island has zero enforcement to protect its nature and biodiversity.”

The Malta Ranger Unit concluded by saying that its Rangers “will continue to patrol Gozo, all year around. They will document all cases of crimes against nature and highlight the good ones, but also the failed.”

Screenshot and video by MRU

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