Illegal trapping site uncovered at government-owned Fort Ricasoli – BLM

by Gozo News · March 6, 2020

BirdLife Malta has uncovered an illegal trapping site at government-owned Fort Ricasoli in Kalkara.

In a statement on Friday, BLM said that the discovery of this illegal trapping site (which BirdLife Malta had already reported to the authorities in the past for illegal trapping) has led to ALE police confiscating 23 illegally trapped protected birds – most of them found in poor welfare conditions.

However, BirdLife pointed out that “despite police requesting the intervention of WBRU experts in this case, WBRU lacked the adequate capacity to assist, with police in turn resorting to calling on Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) experts to help in identifying the confiscated birds.”

The unregistered trapping site, found with unattended nets on the ground, is situated within Fort Ricasoli, which is owned by the Government and most of it is currently being leased to the Malta Film Commission.

The NGO said that the illegally fitted rings and harnesses were all removed by BirdLife Malta, before the birds were fitted with rings from the BirdLife Malta ringing scheme prior to their subsequent release.

The fact that the site was prepared with nets on the ground, and birds kept on site, some of which had been fitted with swivels to be used as live decoys, said BirdLife.

There were Short-toed Larks, Robins, a Dunnock, a Tree Pipit and several Chaffinches and Linnets, the birds were inspected by a veterinarian, and later ringed and released by BirdLife Malta at Ghadira Nature Reserve, BirdLife said.

“We congratulate both ALE and ERA for their timely intervention in this case, which not only has saved the lives of these wild birds, but also prevented them from being used as live decoys for more illegal trapping at this location.” The NGO added that investigations by police are still ongoing.