The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said today that during its first week of 'Operation Safe Haven' in Malta, it bird guards had observed the shooting down of at least five birds of prey.

On September 10, a Marsh Harrier with severe shotgun injuries was found near Bahrija. It died within hours.

On September 11, again in the Bahrija area, a CABS patrol observed several hunters firing some 12 shots into a flock of some 20 high-flying Marsh Harriers. At least one of the birds was hit.

Three days later the conservationists saw a flock of Honey Buzzards coming under fire near Ghar Lapsi. As the birds were flying very high they escaped over the sea unscathed.

Another Honey Buzzard leaving its night roost on Monday morning at Fawwara was not so fortunate. Seconds after leaving a tree it was shot down with a well-aimed shot. A CABS team stationed on the road from Girgenti to the Ta´ Zuta Underground Chapel was able to film the incident at close range. An ALE patrol called to the scene by CABS searched the area but neither the shooter nor his victim was found.

Yesterday, a CABS team near the Freeport witnessed the shooting down a Honey Buzzard with at least 10 shots. As the shooter was out of sight behind a ridge it was impossible to identify him. At roughly the same time a further CABS team filmed the shooting down of a Hobby near the Blue Grotto. Again the rough terrain made it impossible to locate or identify the culprit or find the dead or injured bird.

CABS said that since Wednesday it had also deployed several teams at night, tasked with locating and mapping electronic Quail lures. Although the use of these devices is clearly forbidden under Maltese hunting legislation, some 60 such illegal callers had so far been located.

The committee said it estimated that Maltese hunters have installed a total of several hundred illegal ‘bird callers', in order to lure the birds, which migrate at night.