The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (Cabs) said in a provisional analysis of its work in Malta that it witnessed 257 offences between September 5 and yesterday.

It said that, among other offences, 45 protected birds were shot down or injured and there were 97 failed attempts to shoot at protected birds.

CABS said that at any one time it had a maximum of six operational teams deployed, each of which could reasonably cover well an area of one to two square kilometres.

Birds shot down, injured or being chased outside this area could not be included in the confirmed figures as they were either too distant, behind walls, on private property or obscured by buildings or scrub.

Teams were on duty for an average of 10 hours a day.

CABS said it only monitored intensively some five per cent of the area used for hunting at any one time.

It said that compared to the data it collected in autumn last year, the number of illegal electronic bird lures and shots heard after the afternoon curfew decreased significantly.

It said it was convinced that its presence deterred numerous hunters from shooting at protected species with many birds being saved as a result.