BirdLife Malta expresses its gratitude to the Police for intervening in an illegal hunting incident that occurred within the Salina Bird Sanctuary on September the 1st.

On the day in question, BirdLife Malta received a report from a member of the public who heard shots being fired on the border of the Salina Bird Sanctuary. BirdLife Malta passed on the information to the police at 5.20pm after which BirdLife Malta staff drove to the area in question. When our staff arrived on location – across the road from the Salina bird Sanctuary, three police officers who identified themselves as being from the Naxxar Police Station were observed interviewing a hunter. After the police left, shots were again heard from within the Salina Bird Sanctuary and the Qawra Police station was called at around 6pm. BirdLife Malta staff remained on site for a further two hours and did not notice any police presence in the sanctuary. Following the incident, BirdLife Malta expressed its disappointment at the lack of response from the Qawra Police Station.

In a reply issued by the Police (reproduced below) to a BirdLife Malta press release, a clarification was made that officers from the Qawra Police station actually apprehended a person who was in possession of a shotgun and a dead Spanish sparrow on the day in question. Criminal charges are now being filed against the hunter, according to the police.

BirdLife Malta takes this opportunity to thank the police for its continued efforts to curb illegal hunting.

Police Reply:

We refer to your article entitled “Illegal Hunting, Worse than Last Year” which appeared on your web-site on Saturday, 6 September 2008, particularly to the penultimate paragraph regarding the presence of two hunters at the Salina Bird Sanctuary on Monday, 1st instant.

Contrary to what Dr Andre Raine stated, regarding the failure of the Qawra Police to respond to reports regarding the above mentioned incident, please be informed that on the day in question at about 1830hrs, two Qawra Police officers proceeded to the Salina Bird Sanctuary following an anonymous call and apprehended a person who was in possession of a shotgun and a dead Spanish Sparrow (ghasfur tal-bejt).

The person was taken to the Qawra Police Station for further investigations. Criminal charges were also filed against the hunter.

WPC 101 Roberta Grima

f/Commissioner of Police

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