The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) has today joined Birdlife Malta´s call on the Government to refrain from opening a spring hunting season this year.

In a statement, CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows said, “Illegal bird trapping is rampant and it´s obvious that the poachers know that the police have other priorities now. Opening the hunting season would only worsen this situation.”

She added that, “as the police is not able to guarantee a strict supervision we fear a sharp increase in hunting-related illegalities such as shooting protected species or using forbidden electronic lures.”

“The last weeks have shown that “poachers have already taken advantage of reduced police resources.” Burrows went on to say that, “since the 9th of March CABS volunteers and staff witnessed, documented and reported 18 cases of illegal trapping and two cases of hunting during the closed season.”CABS Press Officer Axel Hirschfeld criticised the hunting organisation FKNK for their recent and repeated calls on the government to lift the spring hunting ban for Turtle Doves.

“This bird is on the way to extinction. By requesting a spring hunting season for it FKNK shows once again that they spit on responsible hunting and conservation and instead are solely focused on facilitating maximum shooting pleasure for their members,” the biologist continued.

He stressed that, “in the last 25 years Turtle Dove populations have declined by more than 80% in most European countries.”

Hirschfeld concluded by saying that “in its International Single Species Action Plan for the conservation of the Turtle-Dove the European Commission has listed illegal hunting and trapping in spring as one of the three main threats to the survival of the species.”

The plan can be viewed by clicking here

Photos by CABS: Illegal trapper Fawwara 28 March 2020 and Hunting in closed season Ghar Lapsi 24 March 2020

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