Hunting in Malta continues unabated.

30/01/2007 00:00:00 BirdLife Malta has called upon the Police Commissioner to enforce the bird protection laws, as illegal hunting continued virtually unabated in Malta and Gozo. Reports of illegal hunting reach BirdLife Malta every day and several members of the public have called BirdLife Malta concerning the persistent illegal hunting which was targeting protected species and occurring during times such as 1PM on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Birdwatchers reported that near Buskett the birds they saw being hunted were all proscribed species. Others talked of seeing birds of prey with dangling broken legs, missing feathers, broken wings and with many flight feathers missing. A Spoonbill spotted at Ghadira Nature Reserve had at least 5 patches of blood stained feathers, almost certainly caused by gunshot. A Marsh harrier was discovered injured and floating in the sea, still alive but suffering from a shot in the breast, broken legs and one wing completely deformed by gun shot. As ever, birds of prey are still the main target of the hunters, and recent casualties have included an endangered Osprey, a Short-toed Eagle that was shot at by at least 5 hunters, Marsh harriers, Honey buzzards, kestrels and hobbies as well as Bee eaters, Grey and Night herons, swallows, house martins, sparrows and wading birds.

Joseph Mangion president of BirdLife Malta said ‘The situation is unacceptable and someone must answer for this situation. It appears we are back to the dark ages, and yet the police seem incapable of bringing the situation under control. The Police Commissioner has assured us time and again that all the police would be mobilized against illegal hunting as for other offences. But instead of an improvement we see a deterioration of the situation. We want immediate concrete action by the Police to control these abuses.’

Members of the public also found other injured birds, including a Bittern and a Merlin. The Bittern has declined considerably in Europe and is very rarely seen in Malta.

Courtesy of Birdlife Malta.