BirdLife Malta today announced that there were “no ALE units patrolling the countryside on the opening weekend of Malta’s autumn hunting season, and the organistion has already started receiving shot protected birds.”
BirdLife Malta said that it received an adult Night Heron and a juvenile Bee-eater, both protected species, on Saturday, the first day of the autumn hunting season. “A veterinary surgeon confirmed that both protected birds had sustained gunshot wounds.”
This morning BirdLife Malta said that it received the third injured protected bird since the start of the season, a juvenile Marsh Harrier, with visible gunshot injuries. The bird has been taken to vet and the authorities have been informed.
Birdlife said that despite a government statement last week that police would “monitor closely the observance of hunting regulations and conditions,” Administrative Law Enforcement officers were assigned to other duties.
Since the migration started in August, BirdLife Malta said that it “has reported 18 active illegal trapping sites to police, targeting protected species from Wood Sandpipers to Grey Herons. Half of these illegal trapping sites had already been reported to the police last year.”The NGO said that “The ALE were unavailable to respond to any of the incidents of illegal trapping reported by BirdLife Malta teams, referring all calls to the Local or District police. The lack of specifically trained officers lead to police failing to locate live decoy birds, neglecting to remove nets or to confiscate illegal tape lures which play calls to attract birds.”
“When BirdLife Malta’s surveillance teams revisited the areas only a few days later the sites were again actively trapping and targeting protected birds.”
“This demonstrates, yet again, the falsity of claims that hunting and trapping law is strictly enforced by the Maltese authorities,” said Nicholas Barbara, BirdLife Malta Conservation Officer, adding that BirdLife Malta has long been calling for a dedicated wildlife crime unit to deal with illegal hunting and trapping both during and outside hunting seasons.
Photographs show juvenile Bee-eater, recovered from Bingemma and a Night Heron recovered from Rabat- Photographs BirdLife Malta
1 Comment To "Illegal hunters take advantage of lax enforcement – BLM"
#1 Comment By George Palmer On September 5, 2012 @ 11:12 am
No surprises there. This season is so long there will be thousands of illegal instances of shooting and trapping. The government should be ashamed of itself allowing a minority to sate their bloodlust in exchange for a few votes and some income from licences. Shame on the government and shame on the hunters. Ugly people, all of them.