“Irresponsible shooters have killed six protected Honey Buzzards (Kuccarda in Maltese) in the area around the Malta International Airport over the past days,” the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said today.

In its statement CABS labelled the fields and valleys around the airport as being by far “the worst killing grounds for protected birds of prey in Europe. As our teams can only monitor a small part of this maze of walls and blind spots we are sure that our observations only represent a small fraction of the offences committed,” CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows

CABS therefore urged the authorities to focus their enforcement efforts and resources to this area. It added however, that at other important raptor roosting sites the situation has significantly improved over the last years.

On Sunday evening, CABS said that its members observed the arrival of around 50 Honey Buzzards coming into roost in Has Saptan valley – which directly borders the airport runway.

CABS stated that, despite the strict hunting curfew after 1pm on Sundays and public holidays, as the birds began to settle in trees, “22 shots were fired from five different locations.”

In addition, CABS said that in the same area one team filmed a hunter in a hide with a silencer on his shotgun. Police were called and apprehended the man. Two shotguns were confiscated.

The next morning (21 September, public holiday), at the same location, CABS members observed around 20 Honey Buzzards rise and fly south to continue their journey to Africa. However, CABS said that shortly after the birds tried to cross the nearby Wied il-Qoton four were observed being shot down close to the runway edge lights.

Again the incident was reported to the police who, CABS said, needed 50 minutes to arrive due to there being only one patrol for the whole island. Despite an intensive search neither the dead buzzards nor the persons who killed them could be found.”

Also on Monday during the afternoons, a CABS team followed a flock of Honey Buzzards until the birds decided to roost in Eucalyptus trees in the Birzebbugia area. It said that, “despite the afternoon hunting curfew still being in place five shots were heard when the first birds flew low.”

When the team arrived at the scene a man carrying a shotgun was filmed running off. Video material clearly showing his face and the weapon in his hands has been passed on to the police, CABS said.

On Tuesday morning CABS continued to monitor the roost in Birzebbugia. “As soon as the first buzzards left the roost gunshot fire increased significantly with at least two birds being hit.” CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows reports.

A video showing one of the Honey Buzzards falling from the sky has been published by CABS.

This morning (23 Sept) a CABS team also filmed a hunter with his shotgun in the middle of the Il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk bird sanctuary where all hunting is strictly prohibited. The man was subsequently apprehended and had his shotgun seized by the police, it said.

“In the night from Monday to Tuesday more than 120 Marsh Harriers roosted around Buskett Gardens and despite many hunters were out in the morning all birds left unscathed,” CABS Press Officer Axel Hirschfeld said.

He added that CABS teams will continue to monitor the situation and document any illegalities during the peak raptor migration, thousands of birds arriving from continental Europe are expected to pass the islands this week.

1.) A poacher with his shotgun photographed in Birzebuggia on Monday during the afternoon curfew, 2.) The poacher arrested in the Il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk bird sanctuary this morning, 3.) The poacher arrested in Has-Saptan valley on Sunday and 4.) A European Honey Buzzard photographed on Malta by Chris Cachia Zammit

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