Two BirdLife Malta staff members were attacked in Delimara this evening upon discovering a suspected illegal trapping site, BLM said.

In a statement this evening BirdLife Malta said that its staff members were walking in the Delimara Point area at around 6.30pm this evening when they heard an illegal bird caller. As they approached the site, where they saw equipment related to trapping, they suddenly became aware of four men running towards them from within the site.

“One of these men began shouting aggressively, then jumped over a wall and hit the two men from BirdLife Malta in the face.”

Nick Piludu, BirdLife Malta’s Conservation Officer, was one of those assaulted, “This area of Delimara is notorious for illegal bird trapping, with both BirdLife Malta and CABS reporting multiple cases of illegal trapping here year on year.”

He added, “we are very thankful to the police for attending so quickly, however it’s alarming that members of the public could be subject to such harassment and intimidation for merely walking through this area.”

ALE officers attended the scene just in time to intervene as one of the aggressors picked up a large rock to throw, the man was restrained by the police. Police from Birzebbuga also attended the call.

The artificial bird caller was playing the sound of an oystercatcher, a protected bird belonging to a group of birds known as wading birds, or waders.

Many waders migrate over Malta during the summer months on their way south to Africa, and trapping them from the wild is illegal at any time of year, BLM said.

Footage shown below is by BLM of its staff attacked by trappers in Delimara

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