Maltese trappers explore alternative to traditional trapping

Tony Zarb is a 34-year-old trapper from Dingli who has been surrounded by birds and cages since he was 11.

Admitting to losing sleep during the migration period, Mr Zarb had sold a bus to be able to buy a tract of land where he claims to spend three quarters of his time trapping birds.

But he is well aware that his pastime is facing extinction as Malta is forced to comply with the EU's Birds Directive by the end of this year.

Rather than protesting loudly, or taking worse measures, Mr Zarb recently decided to join three other Maltese trappers and a hunter on a trip to the Dutch province of Friesland to discover a viable alternative.

"It's pointless crying over spilt milk. But let's try and at least save our pastime. I believe there are ways and means of continuing trapping, and still be in line with the European regulations. I have no problem advocating changes to our practices, but trapping is in our culture and blood," he told The Sunday Times.

On a cold spring weekend between April 4 and 8, the trappers visited their Dutch counterparts in the fields following the initiative made possible with the assistance of the Rural Affairs Ministry and Air Malta.

The Frisians showed them their ways of trapping with one clap net, wooden or plastic decoys and one live decoy on a seesaw. They also showed them how they could properly measure and weigh the birds, and ring them before releasing them.

Frisian plover trappers have been forbidden to trap birds since 1978. Yet for the past 30 years, they have proved to be a golden asset for research, since they started netting both ruffs and golden plovers for two projects that have generated many prestigious scientific articles.

Mr Zarb acknowledges that some of the methods used by the Dutch are not feasible in Malta. They found the Dutch clap nets too slow, and they are well aware that Malta only sees migrating birds. But they were willing to listen and learn.

The trappers also met Dutch ornithologist Ben Koks of the Montagu's harrier working group. For the past three years, Mr Koks has been trapping harriers to fit them with tiny satellite transmitters. They transmit data to the French Argos satellite six times per day and that way they can be tracked on the Internet during their migration between Europe and Africa.

Approximately 20 per cent of the birds fitted with transmitters in The Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Belarus, take the central Mediterranean route.

Mr Zarb said Malta's geographical location in the Mediterranean meant it could potentially double as a scientific centre to catch harriers half-way through their migration. Scientists would then be able to find out a lot more about migration routes and the importance of passages such as Gibraltar and Malta.

The final countdown to trapping has started, but Mr Zarb is optimistic that some kind of arrangement can still be made to save the practice.

"The Government should continue insisting on the importance of our traditions, and I believe that if we show the willingness and give something back to the environment, we can strike a deal," he said.

How does he believe the rest of the passionate trappers will react to the potential alternative?

"The majority I've spoken to seem to be coming round to the idea, but a handful see me as a traitor. I need to convince them. Education and providing the correct, unbiased information are the solution and I believe the majority of us are disciplined enough."