BirdLife Malta said today that the number of instances of illegal hunting seen by its birdwatchers between September 1 and October 13 was 111 percent higher than the same period last year. The total number of reports it received about shot protected birds increased by 162 per cent.

The conservation organisation said bird shooting had however decreased dramatically during the recent Raptor Camp,proving that the strong presence of birdwatchers coupled with a police presence in the countryside was an effective deterrent against illegal hunting.

Joseph Mangion, BirdLife Malta president, said that since the opening of the hunting season on September 1 until October 13, BirdLife fieldworkers recorded 626 illegal hunting incidences. For the same period last year, the figure was 297 incidents.

BirdLife also revealed video footage of two poachers hiding a protected Lesser Spotted Eagle that they had just shot inside the Buskett Bird Sanctuary. The video was taken by Raptor Camp volunteers using a digital camera held against a spotting scope, as the team were over 1.5 km away from the incident at the time.

Another video showed the police apprehending poachers who were were caught hunting.