The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) in a statement on Wednesday morning said that there is “rampant illegal trapping across Malta and Gozo,” resulting in 19 poachers being caught red-handed and 85 live birds confiscated by police.”

CABS have published an interim report of their field operations against “illegal bird trapping this spring.” The organisation stated that “although trapping is completely prohibited in spring, CABS teams were able to film a total of 19 poachers pursuing their illegal hobby.”

CABS added that “all offenders were filmed in the act and subsequently reported to the police. In most cases officers attended quickly and managed to apprehend the poachers on their trapping sites.” Photos released by CABS today show policemen dismantling nets and seizing cages with freshly caught finches.

According to CABS, a total of 40 sets of clap nets, 10 electronic bird callers and 85 live finches were seized during the operations. 19 men were identified and will face charges. Among them is also an old “acquaintance” of CABS who was filmed and reported in 2019 for the same offence “as well as for exposing his private parts to the conservationists. He also tried to run them over in his car in front of EPU officers.”

“Back then the man was taken to court where our team leader gave a detailed witness statement. Unfortunately, the court lost the transcript of this testimony and the whole case had to be heard again. Due to this delay the case was finally time-barred and the man was left unscathed,” reports CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows. “We assume that the new case will be handled without such a mishap and that he finally can be held accountable.”

CABS also said that many poachers re-used sites registered in autumn as “live capturing stations” for the so-called “finch research project” which is being overseen by the Government´s Wild Bird Regulation Unit (WBRU).

“The cases from this spring add to the mountain of evidence proving that this so-called ‘science project’ is nothing more than a smokescreen designed for the sole purpose of protecting and appeasing poachers to secure their votes”, CABS Press Officer Axel Hirschfeld concluded.

CABS said that its teams will be present in Malta and Gozo until the end of the bird migration season in May.

Photos: CABS

Permalink: 19 poachers caught red-handed, 85 live birds confiscated by police – CABS