hile Malta is doing its best to tackle the Covid-19 crisis, BirdLife Malta in a statement said, “the Prime Minister should understand that hunters are not a privileged section of Maltese society.”

“It is absurd that at this delicate moment the Government even considers opening a spring hunting season for this year – this would be highly irresponsible,” it said.

In the past weeks BirdLife Malta teams observed several episodes of hunting illegalities. This week we received a number of illegally shot birds of prey which include a highly-protected Osprey (Arpa in Maltese).

BirdLife Malta said that the adult female Osprey has a shotgun injury to the left wing and was recovered from Xaghra, Gozo on the evening of the 26th of March.

The bird was examined by the government vet and found to be suffering from a shattered elbow joint as a result of illegal hunting.

In just 24 hours yesterday BLM said that it also recovered a Common Kestrel and a Lesser Kestrel, both confirmed shot.

BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana stated, “if Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri – who has no legal rights over the environmental laws – or any other Cabinet member, open a spring hunting season, this would be highly irresponsible.”

He argued that “it is unacceptable that in 2020 the government continues to be spineless towards a lobby which does not show any respect for Maltese society and which has lost control of its own members.”

He went on to say that “hundreds of hunters are aware of the present situation so much so that they are abusing the lack of public and police presence in the countryside to literally do what they want.”

“These organisations – without any shame whatsoever – are even going as far as insisting with the Government to open a spring hunting season,” said Sultana.

Sultana explained that the illegal hunting and trapping incidents observed over the past weeks were “mostly evident in Gozo. Some of the members of the public who contacted us explained how they witnessed first-hand a number of hunters with guns in the countryside around Malta and Gozo. All this is happening during the closed season.”

He stressed that “apart from the fact that at the moment the Government has far more important priorities, this is surely not the time to burden police with more enforcement at such a delicate juncture, especially when the spring hunting derogation requires strict monitoring.”

“Spring hunting is also unsustainable as it allows the killing of birds flying north to their breeding grounds.”

Birdlife Malta went on to say that “it is clear hunters are abusing the lack of public and police presence in the countryside and taking advantage of the situation to literally do what they want.”

BLM argued that “in the case of any decision to be taken in regard to the spring hunting season, the situation remains in limbo following the illegal decision to place the hunting and trapping remit under the Gozo Ministry – a diabolical move which led BirdLife Malta to take the Government to Court.”

BirdLife Malta stated that it deems any action or decision to be taken in this regard as “illegitimate if not taken under the Minister for the Environment, as stipulated by Malta’s environmental laws. We also hope that the Environment Minister is not used as a rubber stamp for the Gozo Minister’s decisions.”

Whilst spring migration has now started for several bird species, BirdLife Malta said that it will continue monitoring activity in the countryside and collaborating with police as is its duty. “We thank the public for their support in reporting illegalities.”

“At this particular moment in time we should continue to assist the authorities in their work, and in view of this we call on the general public to continue reporting and helping us reduce such incidents,” said BLM

“At the same time BirdLife Malta continues to hope for an end to the Coronavirus crisis in the country and thanks the authorities for the valuable work they are doing,” it said.

Photo by Nik Barbara of the shot Osprey in Xaghra

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