RSPCA report exposes Malta-UK bird racket

A report published by the British Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals speaks of a racket involving the illegal trading of birds between Malta and the UK.

The report was discussed in the House of Commons' Select Committee on Environmental Audit, where it was argued that fines for trafficking of wildlife were somewhat low. In fact, it was noted that just under half of the cases brought before the courts in the UK were fined under £500, 35 per cent were fined over £500 and jail terms were imposed in 20 per cent of the cases.

The report estimated that a Maltese man stood to make more than £100,000 from the sale in Malta of 25,000 birds imported from Britain.

The European Commission said recently it was unaware that finches and other birds were being illegally imported into Malta.

Answering a question by Belgian Green MEP Bart Staes, who asked whether the Commission was aware of the illegal importation of songbirds into Malta, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas replied in the negative.

Mr Dimas said article 6 of the Birds Directive does not allow trade in songbirds and if there was evidence to support the allegations the Commission would investigate them further. The Commission, he added, would be taking steps to compile detailed information and to ensure compliance with Community law.

In its report, the RSPCA cited a case in which a Maltese national was found to be in possession of 800 British finches, which, it added, bore all the signs of having been recently taken from the wild.

"He was in the process of placing illegal rings on the birds in an attempt to pass them off as captive bred so that they could be exported to Malta for sale in pet shops and open air markets," the report said.

"A greenfinch caught in the wild would be worth around £2 in the UK but can be sold as a captive-bred specimen for £6-8 in Malta. Using various contacts, the individual's travel record was checked and it was estimated that during the previous 12 months he had been responsible for exporting in excess of 25,000 birds - which means he stood to make a clear profit well in excess of £100,000," the report added.

Sources close to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority said the case was investigated in the UK after it was realised that finches were being imported with broken hind toes.

Mepa had informed the British Environment Protection Department about the matter and the latter involved the RSPCA. Although illegally-caught finches were found, the man in question had left the UK before he was prosecuted and as such offences are not extraditable, the man was never arraigned about the case, the sources said. They added that prosecution in Malta was very difficult due to the way the law was worded.

Finches are imported to serve as decoys to trap migratory birds. The government recently annouced it intended to ban spring trapping of finches and to reduce the shooting season from sea craft by a month. The changes are meant to bring Maltese legislation closer to that of the EU.

The government has invited submissions on these proposals from interested organisations or individuals and these have to reach the Environment and Rural Affairs Ministry by October 4.

Contacted yesterday, a spokesman for the ministry said none had been received by yesterday.

In the meantime, reports of illegal hunting continue to be received on a daily basis. Police sources said their work was being made more difficult as hunters were now also using two-way radios that have a range of up to four kilometres to communicate with each other and warn each other of a police presence.

Reports of hunters gunning night herons out of the sky have persisted since before the hunting season opened on September 1. The one pictured above was found in the throes of death at the Addolorata Cemetery.

A hoopoe, a rather colourful bird that visits Malta in considerable numbers in both spring and autumn, was found dead at Ghadira and a kingfisher, which had its lower mandible and tongue shot off and had injuries to the upper mandible through a lead pellet, was also found at Ghadira on Monday.

An osprey, a strictly protected species, was seen with blood on its chest and under its wing at Buskett on September 6. Another two ospreys were seen being shot at from Girgenti and from Zonqor Point on September 5.

Two honey buzzards were seen being shot in Ghajn Tuffieha on September 7. Other birds of prey such as marsh harrier, Montagu's harrier, Eleonora's falcon and hobbys have been reported shot over the past few days.

Both BirdLife Malta and the Belgian Bird Protection Society are campaigning to stop hunting in spring. The Belgian group is collecting signatures to be presented to the European Parliament shortly. Some 2,000 Maltese people are known to have signed the petition.

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