Rampant illegal hunting in Gozo

The migration season started with large numbers of bangs and shots owing to the sudden change in the weather in the early days of September. Large flock of birds flew over Malta, particularly birds of prey and herons and flamingos. A number of these were shot down and the police also made some arrests but still the promised enforcement is lacking, particularly during the week.

It seems that this year the shooters are concentrating their hunting activities much more on Gozo, the sister island, than on Malta, because on Gozo enforcement leaves much to be desired. During a spell of good weather when migration was less than normal a jogger reported that a night heron had been shot down. The jogger, Ms Anastasi, remained next to the bird until members of the ALE (wildlife police department) arrived on site. She was informed that the bird would be taken to the quarantine section of the department where all injured birds are kept. In a comment on Facebook Ms Anastasi made this appeal: “If you do come across an injured bird or animal, just call the police on 112 or the Animal Welfare Ambulance on 7996 9918 and they will help you. It doesn’t take much and it gives great satisfaction knowing that you have played a part in saving a life. Please do not turn a blind eye.”

News continued pouring in from Gozo and yesterday sources next to the police stated that a man had been arrested and was being questioned after a considerable number of stuffed protected birds were found in his residence in Xaghra, Gozo.

The police raided the house following a tip-off. They found 80 undeclared stuffed protected birds in his collection and a number of others were also found in a freezer. According to the same source they included flamingos, ospreys, kites and storks. MEPA Environment officials are compiling a list of the finds.

Following these incidents, a car which is being used by a group of researchers working on the Malta Seabirds project was shot at several times where it was parked in Gozo. This car is well known to the hunters because it is being used frequently. The Malta Seabird Project is funded under the EU Life project. The researchers heard the shots but because they were at the edge of the cliff quite far away from their car they did not recognise the person shooting. They realised that their car had been shot at when they returned about two hours later. Apart from the marks from the lead pellets the car also had a number of dents.

The car was riddled with pellets by the time the
researchers returned to it

The Bird camps on Malta and Gozo started earlier this month. The Birdlife camp commenced a week ago while the CABS camp started on Friday 13 September.

On Sunday shortly after midday two poachers shot down a strictly protected Black stork in the Valley of San Blas where lot of shooting takes place. The bird was still alive when it was recovered but died soon after it was handed to the Gozo Police Patrol which was called to the scene. The bird was a juvenile born only a few months ago and was on its first migration to its wintering quarters in Africa. The report was triggered by a witness who saw the shooting and reported the case. Since the arrival of CABS on Gozo the patrols in Gozo have been beefed up and are working hand in hand with the CABS camp guards. A spokesman for CABS said they were grateful to the person who alerted the guards and also to the prompt intervention of the Gozo Police because such action is important to curb illegal hunting.

The black stork, shot down by hunters, died soon after
it was discovered.

The illegal shooting which took place on Saturday was followed by a number of illegal killings of protected species the following day on the north islands. Observers saw hunters killing honey buzzards in the Buskett Area, whilst other reports of shooting at birds of prey were received from various areas in the south of Malta. CABS guards filmed a number of attempts to kill protected species and also reported a trapper in the Mgarr area to the police . Trapping is allowed at this time of year but the trapper was using illegal clap nets. In all, in a short period of three hours CABS reported six illegalities. The 40 guards from various countries in Europe will be in Malta for the next three weeks.

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Environmentalists welcome increased police presence to combat illegal birdhunting on Malta

The annual operation run by the German group Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) to protect migrating birds from being shot illegally on the Island of Malta starts this weekend (14 September.) This year the group includes more than 40 volunteers from nine countries. The guards taking  part in the camps will be stationed on both Malta and Gozo.

The main aim of the CABS teams is to deter the shooting down of protected migrating bird species. Its bird guards will also search for illegal bird traps, nets and electronic decoy devices and report them to the law enforcement agencies.

CABS said it welcomed the announcement by Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes that more than 100 police officers, including mounted patrols, will be deployed to combat poaching this autumn.  CABS President Heinz Schwarze said that everyone was delighted to hear that the Administrative Law Enforcement unit (ALE) was at last being reinforced and will now hopefully also be capable of more proactive action against poaching. In this connection the group praised the professional work of the ALE unit and the Gozo police, which led to the arrest of flamingo killers earlier in the week.

The CABS team will include a number of professional ornithologists and biologists with considerable field experience in various countries in Central and Southern Europe. They will be open to having contact with members of the public and ready to discuss or advise on ornithological or environmental matters.

The operation will continue until the end of September and will be conducted in close co-operation with International Animal Rescue Malta, BirdLife Malta and the Malta Police Force. The CABS teams on Gozo will be supported by members of the German Foundation Pro Biodiversity (SPA), which is also supporting the camp with a significant financial contribution. 

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Changes to Autumn Hunting Introduced

The Malta government has announced the autumn hunting season and revealed that the hours of the mid-season curfew will be reduced. The news has been welcomed by the FKNK, the hunters’ federation, as the government’s first step towards the eliminating the curfew, which it said was imposed on the hunting season. However, environmental and animal welfare groups have strongly criticised the government for not protecting migrating birds from illegal hunters.

The Government stated that, on the recommendation of the Ornis Committee, the season will open on 1 September and close on 31 January for hunting on land and open on 1 October for hunting at sea. The dates are unchanged from previous years but a curfew after 3 pm between September 15 and 30 has been reduced. The hunting of birds on land shall be permitted during two hours before sunrise and two hours after sunset on any day between Monday and Saturday and during two hours before sunrise and after 1pm on Sundays and public holidays.

However hunting on land between 15 September and 7 October will not be permitted from Mondays to Saturdays after 7pm, nor during the two hours before sunrise of the following day.

This action is a clear confirmation that the government is gradually giving in to the hunting lobby and has no environmental conscience whatsoever. Max Farrugia, Chairman of International Animal Rescue in Malta, said: “This is not an electoral mandate because I could not trace it in the electoral manifesto but might be part of the talks which the hunting lobby group and the government had before the elections. I am convinced that this legal notice regarding the hunting season will give a green light for more illegal hunting even though the government has insisted that the police and army will be joining forces to curb the illegalities and that there will be zero tolerance.

“I am sure that the politically appointed Chairman  of Ornis, who I know used to be a bird watcher in his teens, knows well that birds of prey such as vultures, eagles and falcons leave the Sicilian coast and cross the Sicilian straits, reaching the Maltese Islands after 3pm. It is then that the illegal hunters embark on their killing and destruction.”

Farrugia added that everyone knows that Maltese hunters are very difficult to control and in his opinion this is why hunting was not allowed after 3 pm.

The Coalition for the Abolition of Spring Hunting (CASH) which was set up a few days before the legal notice was issued, condemned the government’s decision to reduce the hunting curfew between 15-30 September by four hours. A spokesperson for the coalition said this was a clear sign that there was little interest from the government in ensuring the conservation of migratory birds over the Maltese Islands.

The coalition urged the Maltese public to sign its petition calling for a referendum to ban spring hunting. "This is an opportunity to show that the Maltese population cares for wildlife, bird conservation and democracy," it said.

 During recent days shots have been heard in the south of the island in the notorious areas of Zonqor Point and Marsascala. The first migrating birds have already started to pass over Malta and already the first victim has been brought in - a night heron with an injured wing.

Three flamingos were also shot down when a flock flew over Malta and some of them tried to make a stopover. With the help of some local residents the police managed to trace the killers and those who helped in the killing of one flamingo in Gozo and five people were arrested. The bird was found in a freezer. According to eye witnesses the bird was shot down and fell in the sea where it was retrieved by a hunting dog.

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Petition Launched for a Referendum on Abolition of Spring Hunting

The 'Coalition for the Abolition of Spring Hunting' (CASH) has formally launched a petition calling for the holding of a referendum on the abolition of spring hunting.

The coalition is made up of the Ramblers Association of Malta, Nature Trust, Moviment Graffiti, International Animal Rescue Malta, Greenhouse Malta, Gaia Foundation, Friends of the Earth Malta, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Coalition for Animal Rights, BirdLife Malta and Alternattiva Demokratika.

The petition reads:

“We the undersigned persons being registered as voters for the election of members of the House of Representatives demand that the question whether the following provision of law, that is to say Framework for Allowing a Derogation Opening a Spring Hunting Season for Turtledove and Quail Regulations (Subsidiary Legislation 504.94 – Legal Notice 221 of 2010), should not continue in force, shall be put to those entitled to vote in a referendum under Part V of the Referendum Act.”

In order for the referendum to be called at least 34,000 Maltese who are eligible to vote in a general election must sign the petition. The petition for the referendum cannot be signed online. Copies of the petition are being made  available from cashmalta2013@gmail.com or from the members  of the Coalition mentioned above. 

During a press conference coalition spokesperson Rudolph Ragonesi described the referendum as a “real chance for the people of Malta to end the cat and mouse game between the European Union and Malta that means spring hunting continues against the wishes of the vast majority of the Maltese population.”

Members of the coalition complained during the press conference that both major political parties had committed themselves to protect spring hunting. Max Farrugia from International Animal Rescue Malta said that during the election campaign protection of spring hunting was one of the issues but soon after the elections the new government removed the €50 special licence fee and identification armbands for registered hunters. As a result there were 50% more registered hunters during the spring hunting season of 2013 compared with 2012.

It is worth noting that spring hunting is possible in Malta through a derogation of the EU Birds Directive.  Hunting is allowed in spring for Turtle Dove (Gamiema) and Quail (Summiena) but both have become species of conservation concern because their numbers are declining so rapidly in Europe, the coalition said.  Continued hunting in spring put Malta at risk of action such as fines from the EU.

It was stated in the press conference that "From a conservation and hunting point of view  it makes no sense to hunt birds that are returning to their breeding grounds. These are the birds that have survived the winter and would replenish bird populations if they reached their breeding grounds. Killing them in spring is therefore unsustainable." 

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