“Protected trees have been cut to make way for an illegal trapping site on Gozo,” the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said today. It added that together with the Police, they also dismantled a “massive illegal mist in a family park near Qala.”

In a statement, CABS said that “poachers on Gozo have destroyed protected Carob trees to make way for an illegal bird trapping installation in a public family park near Qala on Gozo.”

The organisation explained that, “to catch protected birds persons unknown had installed a large vertical mist net inside the park area which at the moment is not being maintained.”

“The net was spanned between two 5-metre-high poles and was about 8 metres long,” CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows reported, adding that when she spotted the net through her binoculars she could see “several dead birds hanging in it.”

CABS reported the case to the police who arrived within 20 minutes and – with the help of the birdwatchers – dismantled and confiscated the net.

A total of five dead protected birds – one Wood Warbler, one Spotted Flycatcher and three Spanish Sparrows – were found entangled in the net, CABS said.

“These poor birds have suffered a long time before they finally suffocated or died in the hot sun. Whoever is responsible for this should not only be punished for breaking the hunting law but also be held accountable for this irresponsible cruelty to animals,” Burrows stated.

While the police was on site it was also discovered that the poachers had cut several protected Carob trees to erect the net.

CABS Press Officer Axel Hirschfeld concluded by saying, “this is a very severe case which involves trapping and killing of protected birds, brutal cruelty to animals as well as destruction of protected trees on government-owned land. We expect the Gozo police to conduct a full investigation and use all means to identify the culprits.”

Photos by CABS

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