BirdLife Malta and the National Museum of Natural History last year received 419 shot protected birds, according to the conservation organisation's first annual report on the issue.
The figure was considered to be "the tip of the iceberg" by BirdLife Malta executive director Tolga Temuge. Although it highlighted the "seriousness" and extent of illegal hunting in Malta, it was still far from representing its true scale.
In fact, BirdLife's Illegal Hunting and Trapping Report 2007 only includes reports of birds injured by gunshot - 81 of 28 species in total - that BirdLife received from "verifiable" sources, Mr Temuge said.
A further 741 illegal hunting and trapping incidents were recorded by BirdLife, it said yesterday at the presentation of its report and a supplementary one that took into account the protected birds delivered to the Natural History Museum until the end of February.
It transpired that the museum, the official body to receive dead protected birds from BirdLife, the police or the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, got 338 other protected birds representing 115 species.
From the "grim" results BirdLife Malta conservation manager André Raine came to the conclusion that illegal activities were rife in the Maltese countryside.
Many more incidents go unreported, the officials stressed, explaining that several shot protected birds were never found. They first had to escape from the poacher and then be found by someone who was, furthermore, willing to report the finding to the police or to BirdLife, before the species was delivered to the Natural History Museum.
Among the 491 were four foreign-ringed protected birds, part of scientific studies, highlighting the international impact of illegal hunting in Malta, Dr Raine said. It was literally a case of conservation efforts abroad being shot down in Malta.
As many as 42.5 per cent of the species reported to BirdLife and the museum were given additional protection under Annex 1 of the Birds Directive, while birds of prey accounted for 61.7 per cent, Dr Raine said.
The three most common species with gunshot injuries reported to BirdLife were the common kestrel, the marsh harrier and the honey buzzard, in that order, he added.
It was also found that nine of the raptors had been illegally kept in captivity after being shot.
The BirdLife report highlights how "widespread" illegal hunting was in 2007, with shot protected birds delivered to BirdLife's office from 48 locations and illegal hunting incidents being recorded in 84, the three worst areas being Laferla Cross, Miżieb and Nadur (Malta).
Mr Temuge highlighted the lack of resources available to the police Administrative Law Enforcement section, which could afford to be doubled. The vast majority of illegal hunters were getting away with their crimes, he said. Overseas, at least, most criminals were brought to justice, facing heavy fines and even jail terms.
Mr Temuge said that since Election Day, BirdLife has been observing a serious increase in wildlife crimes in the countryside. Asked to elaborate, he said that on March 8 and 9 reports of illegal hunting were higher than in the previous days, due probably to a lower presence of ALE officers in the countryside.
"Despite glossy promises on environmental issues before the election, we have not seen any serious move from the government to turn words into action by clamping down on illegal hunting and trapping," he said.
If the situation is not taken seriously, it would damage the "hobby" of the legitimate hunters too, he said, calling on the hunters' federation to invest in educating its members and keep its promise to withdraw the licences of those who violated the law.
BirdLife Malta will be holding its first international spring watch camp between Saturday and April 29 to observe the migration of wild birds from Africa to their breeding grounds in Europe. Local and foreign ornithologists would also be reporting illegal activities that may occur.