Update from FKNK and KSU below –A whole flock of protected Western Marsh-harriers were “decimated”’ by hunters at Tas-Silg in Delimara last night. The protected birds of prey were trying to roost in the valley and were illegally targeted, BirdLife Malta has said.

In a statement, BirdLife Malta said that its volunteers and members yesterday witnessed a “horrible hunting massacre” during the first hours of the night, that it said, “decimated a whole roosting flock of protected birds of prey in Delimara.”

Just before sunset yesterday a roost of around 30 birds of prey, mainly Western Marsh-harriers (Baghdan Ahmar), was spotted in fields at Tas-Silg, Delimara, limits of Marsaxlokk.

A number of hunters watching them till dusk prompted an overnight watch by our teams, BirdLife said.

Then, “a few hours after sunset, gunshots were heard and through night vision optics, the massacre was caught on film,“ the NGO said.

The police were informed and BirdLife Malta said that “after some time a Rapid Intervention Unit (RIU) team – not Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) officers – arrived on scene unsure what to do and too late to catch the culprits.”

The teams remained on site all night and at first daylight they searched the area retrieving five Marsh-harriers, four of which were still alive but injured, while one was dead.

BirdLife Malta stated that, “the horrible scene left those present in shock and they again called the police to help search the area and hand over the injured protected birds to the government veterinarians as soon as possible.”

BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana reacted, “this is shocking and unacceptable. We should not beat around the bush; this massacre is on the hands of those who had given amnesties to hunters who declared over 500,000 protected birds in their taxidermy collections. ”

He insisted that “this is on the hands of the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) who failed miserably in controlling these declared lists. These lists had stopped being vetted allowing for hunters to kill protected birds today and place them in their collections or of those who are ready to pay for the specimen.”

Sultana stated that “there is an unacceptable racket going on with the blessing of the country’s government. Why do you think hunters are killing these protected birds? Why do you think a young man kills four Flamingos at Qawra Point and jumps into the sea to retrieve them?”

“Why do you think two family members and well-known taxidermists in Gozo are repeatedly found with carcasses, yet very little can be done due to legal loopholes,” he asked

Sultana went on, “how can one explain why one of these taxidermists was seen daily with Minister Clint Camilleri during the electoral campaign, but police fail to find him to give him the notification of Court sittings? This is a big racket that involves hunters, politicians and enforcement officers.”

BirdLife Malta demanded that Prime Minister Robert Abela “`should take it on himself to make sure that vetting of the lists of protected species in hunters’ collections commences immediately.”

“Bird experts within the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) should be asked to handle this remit. We also demand that wildlife crime enforcement is taken seriously keeping in mind that Malta is already facing Infringement Proceedings initiated by the European Commission on this subject,” it said.

BirdLife Malta Head of Conservation Nicholas Barbara concluded, “we will remain adamant to be as present as possible in the countryside to help protect migratory birds. We will also be submitting a detailed report to the European Commission on this particular incident, and others of recent past, along with a snapshot of situation in hand related to the mentioned amnesties of the past that is the cause of the rampant and ever-increasing illegal hunting of protected species in Malta.”

Update from FKNK and KSU:

FKNK has said that it will commit all its resources to assist in the investigations to bring these criminals to justice.

The FKNK also said that it will endeavour to ensure that if the accused are found guilty in court, they will subsequently never be allowed to hold a hunting license again.

The hunters’ federation warned that it “will not stand for anything or anyone who might even dare to obstruct in any way, all the good work it does on behalf of its thousands of loyal and genuine hunting and trapping members to ensure the enjoyment of our traditional socio-cultural and traditional, in addition to the conservation of the natural environment.”

Hunters’ group Kaccaturi San Ubertu dissociated itself from “such illegal acts as have nothing to do with legal hunting and held at a time when legal hunting is prohibited.”

It pointed out that the “vast majority of hunters are enjoying this day-to-day season within the parameters of the law.”

KSU insisted that such people “should not be called hunters, let alone possess a weapon,” and hoped that those who have committed the alleged violation of the law will be caught and brought to justice.

The KSU offered its help to the authorities “to ensure that valuable work in favour of sustainable hunting is not tarnished by any such criminal acts.”

Photos: Massacre of protected Marsh-harriers at Delimara – BirdLife Malta, and video footage by BirdLife Malta with editing by Nathaniel Attard

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