Poacher fired warning shot at bird guards - CABS

The German-based Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said today that a poacher fired a warning shot at chasing Bird Guards in an incident at Armier on Monday.

"At about 6.50 pm, as a flock of some 30 Marsh Harriers and Honey Buzzards flew into a night roost at Little Armier (L-Ahrax ta` Gewwa), fire was opened on the birds from several locations in the scrub and woodland. At least one Honey Buzzard was hit and fell to the ground. As the nearby CABS team searched for the wounded or dead bird, an armed young man almost walked into their arms, but took to his heels at the sight of the Bird Guards. As the team ran after him, calling on him to give himself up, the poacher fired a warning shot and disappeared between the trees," CABS said in a statement.

"In this instance, discretion was the better part of valour and the conservationists broke off the chase."

CABS press officer Axel Hirschfeld said two local police patrols arrived about an hour later and seized four freshly fired cartridges found at the scene. The officers also took a statement from the team leader including a detailed description of the culprit, and recorded an official complaint.

The committee said in its statement that in just two days, its teams in Malta had personally witnessed the shooting down of four birds of prey and located an illegal net site. They had also provided the police with evidence on which to base five arrests of poachers.

The committee said that since Saturday its activists had registered more than 220 shots - in almost every area of the island - despite the government ban on spring hunting.

"In view of the fact that our four teams can only monitor a small area of the island at any one time, we must assume that breaches of the law are widespread" said David Conlin, CABS operations officer.

CABS said that on Monday morning, on the high ground above the town of Salinas, one of its teams observed at least three persons shooting at harriers and falcons that had roosted there the previous night. At least one Hobby was hit and fell to the ground. Within half an hour of being alerted, and despite morning rush hour traffic, two ALE patrols arrived at the scene. At least one man is helping police with their enquiries.

At the same time, another CABS team deployed north of Marsaskala witnessed the shooting down of a Kestrel. The poacher was subsequently filmed picking up the dead bird, sticking it under his pullover, and taking it back to his hut. Again the police were on the scene quickly, identified the shooter, and retrieved the dead bird.

During this operation an active trapping site was discovered nearby and two nets were confiscated.

CABS said that despite the ban on spring hunting, some poachers obviously have little fear of being caught. An example of this was a man who was observed hunting in the company of a small child, not more than two years of age, in an area west of the Freeport, and who was filmed by a CABS team with shotgun in hand. The police are investigating.

Yesterday a CABS team also shadowed a flock of about a dozen Honey Buzzards that had roosted overnight west of Marsaskala. Shortly before the birds reached the open sea near Fort St. Leonardo, at least 20 shots were fired at the flock. Subsequently the CABS team observed through their spotting scope how a young man with a shotgun combed the area and picked up an unidentified bird, probably one of the Honey Buzzards. He then disappeared with the bird into a shooting hide. Despite an extensive search by two ALE patrols, neither the bird nor the poacher could be found. Police investigations are continuing.

"The extent of poaching causes us a great deal of concern" said CABS president Heinz Schwarze. "Even if these illegal acts are committed by only a small minority of hunters, the damage to nature is nevertheless of worrying proportions".

"Wherever shooting takes place, our teams observed the activation of a warning system of watchers equipped with mobile phones and walkie-talkies as soon as a conservationist or police presence was detected. This is very similar to methods used by organised criminal gangs" Mr Schwarze said.

He called for substantial reinforcement of the ALE, and the overdue creation of a dedicated wildlife crime unit, as is the case in many other European countries.

The four CABS teams will monitor bird migration over Malta and Gozo until next Sunday .