Raptor camp met with illegal hunting, hostility
Conservationists holding photos of some of the dead or injured birds at Buskett.
As Birdlife Malta's raptor camp came to an end, 25 participants from eight countries gathered in the Buskett Bird Sanctuary to send a message to the authorities to intensify efforts to curb illegal hunting.
The conservationists held photos of some of the dead or injured birds delivered to Birdlife during the past eight days.
Birdlife received 17 shot protected birds, in contrast to the five protected birds handed over last year. In the first 11 days, the teams recorded a total of 398 shots after 3 p.m., despite the fact that hunting was banned after that time.
Over this period, the teams also watched a further 19 protected birds shot down but not recovered, including two black storks.
The use of illegal electronic bird lures and modified shotguns capable of firing more than the legal number of shots was also recorded.
The analysis of data gathered by the teams is still ongoing and figures resulting from two weeks of monitoring will be released in a report.
Anna Giordano, Goldman Prize winner for her efforts to stop illegal hunting in Sicily, joined the camp and expressed her dismay:
"Malta is like Sicily in the early 1980s. It is unacceptable to witness the widespread killing of protected birds in this day and age. The turning point for us in Sicily was when the government stopped seeing this as an argument between two sides, but as a national problem," Ms Giordano said.
Bob Elliot, head of investigations at the Scottish branch of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, joined the camp for the second year running. He said: "The situation is much worse than last year... There was also more hostility towards the camp participants - I was shocked at the abuse that my Maltese and foreign colleagues had to endure," Mr Elliot said.
Despite the illegal hunting, the camp was successful in reducing levels of poaching in areas where teams were operating, Birdlife said.
On the morning of September 25, raptor camp teams watched the safe departure of three lesser spotted eagles that had roosted overnight in Buskett.
On September 26, intelligence gathered by the raptor camp teams led to the recovery of six live protected birds from an aviary where they had been kept illegally.
Over the last two weeks, six poachers were also apprehended as a result of information passed on by the raptor camp teams to the police.
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Anthony Formosa
Sep 28th 2008, 21:41
@ I.Borg, yes and if you type Human Killing you'll find about 420,000 posts. But yes two wrongs don't make one right, but our wrong supersedes all wrongs. And if you type abortion killing you'll find 5,200,000. posts. But this is ok because it's accepted by Brussels.
Apologize for not saying goodbye to the CABS, hope you bring your sun screen next year.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Sep 28th 2008, 21:23
Adrian Cardona
HUNTERS DO NOT HUNT PROTECTED SPECIES.
IT IS POACHERS THAT DO.
BEFORE YOU LEARN TO DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENCE YOUR BIAS IS GLARINGLY EVIDENT.
TALK ABOUT BEING DELUDED!!
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Sep 28th 2008, 21:18
@JBorg
it is actually 15000 not 1500 as you state and in an area of 118Sq.K.
The ban actually gave the chance to apprehend anyone breaking the law and your results proved it was useless. The reason being, abuse was so scarce that it was practically impossible to trace. If it were as rampant as you state then why were results so poor.
It's obvious abuse is not what you deceptively make it out to be.
If hunters were to report abuse are you stating that CABS would not campaign for a Hunting ban - Next joke please.
Abuse in Germany is rife, CABS confirm this, Hunters in Germany do not report abuse yet no ban is being contemplated, Who are you trying to fool apart from yourself.
CABS would ban any form of hunting given the chance.They are extremist anti-hunting abolitionists that resort to deceit to reach their aims. You consider their actions as commendable, it only points to your being an accomplice in their plan.
l borg
Sep 28th 2008, 16:13
what hunters do not hunt protected birds'? mr mifsud if they do not hunting itself is finished that what its all about killing protected birds to fill the cabinet and show off to other hunters the fact only 6 were caught is lack off police effort and a soft governent however with the internet we can show the whole world what happens in malta and the killing of the black stork even was sent to birdlife argentina yes maltese hunters even go to argentina to kill birds also if one writes BIRD KILLING MALTA on goggle one can see pictures and articles about illegal hunting in malta
Adrian Cardona
Sep 28th 2008, 13:56
@ Mark Mifsud Bonnici
"Hunters do not hunt protected species!!"
If you actually believe what you wrote you are one seriously deluded person!
Anthony Formosa
Sep 28th 2008, 13:55
That is a significant number of accused hunters, I was expecting 100, or 1000, or 1,000,000 with all the figures that BLM always mentioned plus the CABS brought sophisticated cameras that from the North of Malta you can see what is happening in the South.
Well Done BLM & CABS for another Fiasco.
l Galea
Sep 28th 2008, 13:39
Although I don't like hunting, I say stop your interference in our internal affairs and straighten the affairs in your own countries.
J. Borg
Sep 28th 2008, 12:11
‘When will you ever stop saying nonsense and concentrate on reporting the illegal hunters’ – Precisely Mr. Mifsud Bonnici!
If there are 1,500 hunters roaming, in let’s admit, a very confined space on our islands – how come the FKNK never gave enough evidence to the Police to prosecute these criminals over all these years?
The reason why CABS have called for a hunting ban, is simply because notwithstanding the alleged hundreds of “law abiding” hunters, the latter seem to all have a sharp eyesight to shoot down a ‘su/ga mmiema’, but then awkwardly quite blurred vision when it comes to identify their unscrupulous criminal comrades.
Quite macho indeed!
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Sep 28th 2008, 10:34
"It's almost as if the poachers are taking revenge on migratory birds for being denied the opportunity for hunting last spring,"
Hunters only shoot migratory birds? So its now a matter of revenge!! And if you assertion is correct who lobbied for the denial of Spring hunting? - BIRDLIFE
When will you ever stop saying nonsense and concentrate on reporting the illegal hunters. Maybe one day your claims can be substantiated and the claimed number of poachers confirmed.
Six so far, another hundred ,if ever, and we will soon have got rid of them. Well done!!
Incidentally were the "five hunters hunting after the 3 p.m. ban on hunting" after turtle dove and quail? September afternoon hunting is only illegal in Malta thanks to our Government's help to - BIRDLIFE
A ban put into effect for BIRDLIFE'S convenience, the ALE at your disposal and all you manage to come up with is 6 arrests, 5 of which are not related to shooting of illegal species.
If its poaching that is to be stopped why call the afternoon ban. a ban on "hunting". Hunters do not hunt protected species!!