The Office of the Prime Minister has asked the Police Commissioner to investigate claims made by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) of "renewed massive killing of protected migrant birds of prey by Maltese hunters”. The committee, in a letter to the Prime Minister, also complained of “concomitant disregard for the rule of law”.

The OPM said that in view of government policy not to tolerate abuse, it encouraged everyone to cooperate with the police in the investigations.

In its letter CABS, a German-based committee which has sent birdwatchers to Malta also urged the government to stop all hunting immediately until after the end of raptor migration.

The committee also called for "an adequate, effective and qualified police presence on the ground and for protection status to be extended to migration roosts, in addition to Buskett Gardens. They said that the Mizieb hunting reserve was a high priority in this respect.

CABS said the rural west of Malta and the open countryside on Gozo must be closed to any form of hunting activity from 1 August to 15 October (while presuming a permanent ban on spring hunting).

It also insisted that hindrance of lawful and responsible conservation monitoring, and harassment of those employed on such tasks, must not be tolerated by the authorities.

Earlier today CABS also released a video of a rare protected Black Stork shot over Malta yesterday.