Adds Birdlife and FKNK statements
BirdLife Malta said today that 76 dead protected birds were found today concealed under stones and rubbish in the Mizieb woodland.
The discovery was made by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and BirdLife Malta's Raptor Camp volunteers.
"The search in the area continues and based on present experience it is likely that the numbers will increase before the day is out," the society said.
It said it also received two shot injured Grey Herons and a Honey Buzzard over the last couple of days. CABS teams found a freshly shot Common Kestrel in Bahrija this morning.
BirdLife said Raptor Camp and CABS teams moved into Mizieb shortly after 9am as hunting intensity decreased. Volunteers began searching the area and found several freshly killed protected birds including Marsh Harriers, a Honey-buzzard, a Hoopoe, a Night Heron, a Hobby and a Nightingale, as well as remains of other protected species that were clearly killed and stashed in hiding places dotted around Mizieb, over the past few weeks and months.
The volunteers called the police ALE unit while continuing to search the area for more evidence. The ALE arrived at around 12.30 p.m. and started collecting the bodies and the remains of the dead protected birds.
"What we have been witnessing over the last two days, together with today's shocking finding in Mizieb, is a sad reflection of the true scale of illegal hunting in Malta. What we have uncovered is only the tip of the iceberg, as the scope and range of our teams is limited and we can therefore only cover a small geographical area of the Maltese islands." said Axel Hirschfeld, CABS press officer.
BirdLife Malta and CABS called on the government to launch an inquiry into the discovery of the dead birds.
FKNK STATEMENT
The hunters' federation (FKNK) in a statement this evening said that whilst, as always, it firmly condemning any act of illegal killing of protected wild birds, it noted the steep escalation of such 'reports' since the September 10, European Court of Justice verdict.
"These 'reports' are clearly intended to jeopardize the milestone verdict which Malta through its (the FKNK's) perseverance at exposing the truth was served with by the highest European Union Institution. A verdict that no-one can change."
The FKNK said it has asked for the details of persons who had been apprehended and would be arraigned by the Police for alleged killing of protected wild birds since the arrival of the Raptor Camp and CABS personnel. It said it had also devised a system to verify such 'reports' until the departure of both organizations' groups.
"Finally the FKNK emphasizes its warning to hunters of yesterday, wherein it stated that, now more than ever, it will adopt zero tolerance measures with any of its members who might persist with illegal hunting acts, and therefore will not put up with anything that might again ever jeopardise the traditional Maltese socio-cultural passion of spring hunting."