Patrick Cooke
Bird callers advertised in hunting journal
Electronic pre-recorded bird callers, which may not be used for hunting, are being advertised in local hunting and trapping journal Il-Passa-temp.
Although it is not illegal for outlets to import and sell the devices, their use in hunting is forbidden under the EU Birds Directive.
The devices are banned because their calls are very effective at attracting wild birds within shotgun range, so the impact on bird populations would be severe if they were permitted.
A person found guilty of using the devices illegally can be fined between €232 and €2,329 on first conviction. However, illegal use of them is believed to be widespread.
When contacted, Il-Passa-temp editor Joe Mercieca said there was nothing wrong with the devices being advertised in a hunting newspaper.
When asked what other uses readers may have for the callers, Mr Mercieca said that they could be used in public gardens to give the impression of birds being present, and they were also used by songbird breeders to teach chicks to sing.
He said that since it was legal to import and sell the devices, it was irrelevant what is done with them when they were sold.
"The existing stupid regulations on hunting and trapping need to be amended. Among other things, the use of bird callers should be legal so that the police will have more time to protect citizens from increasing crime instead of wasting their time running after hunters and trappers using bird callers," he said.
Mario Salnitro, owner of the Gun and Rod Sports Shop in San Gwann, one of three outlets advertising bird callers in this month's edition of Il-Passa-temp, said that "unfortunately" he was not selling many of the devices, which cost from €105 to €750.
He pointed out that bird callers could be used by ornithologists, as well as theatres and schools.
However, he said he would not dare ask customers what they intended to use a caller for in case he lost a sale, "since most gun shops are not doing very well because our season had been shortened for the past two years".
Furthermore, Mr Salnitro believes that the use of the devices should be permitted for the hunting of certain birds, such as ducks, turtle doves and quail, "since most seasons the bag-count is very low and this will help hunters to increase their catch".
Another advert placed in this month's Il-Passa-temp by Fieldsports in Mellieha is devoted entirely to bird callers and boasts of a device that is "Good for Song Thrush, Quail, Golden Plover calls".
Fieldsports owner James Fenech insisted he is opposed to anything illegal and said the devices were bought by former trapping and breeding enthusiasts who no longer kept birds in captivity.
"This is no joke - they end up buying these machines to hear some bird songs," he said.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
Petrol price up 6c
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
9 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
C Mallia
Oct 26th 2009, 12:03
If the use of bird callers is illegal, then so should be their sale. The point though is that FKNK, a hunting organisation, chooses to allow such adverts to appear in its publication, when the readership of this publication are hunters, so it is soliciting the use of bird callers for hunting purposes and that is like soliticing for breaking the law.
j cutajar
Oct 25th 2009, 16:59
The only sounds of birds we want to hear is the sound of real live ones not these dumb novelties.
Bird callers only call birds to the slaughter.
Robert Sultana
Oct 25th 2009, 14:46
Just what is the point of this article ? Even the govt. collects VAT from the sale of these callers !! So in this piece of marketing everybody is perfectly legal doing his bit, from the european maker and exporter down to the maltese govt. and shopowner and yet it's only the maltese hunter at the end of the chain who is declared to be doing an illegality !!! Seems like 2 weights, 2 measures to me.
Carmelo Aquilina
Oct 25th 2009, 13:14
Of course, if someone wanted to import and sell a marjuana pipe by stating that people can use them to blow soap bubbles, then they would be laughed all the way to court ! These are being sold to people who will use them for hutning as shown by Mr Mercieca's comments on "stupid" regulations and police needing to chase real criminals, and Mr Salnitro not daring to ask people what they will be using them for for fear of losing a sale. And Mr Fenech, since when do people have to spend that much money electronic bird callers just hear bird song ? Have people ever heard of personal stereos, Walkmen or Ipods ? This is an example of the so-called "zero tolerance" to illegal actions that Mark, Lino et al want to impress people with. Talk is cheap, but even asking the authorities to close down this loophole seems too hard for these organisations !
V Falzon
Oct 25th 2009, 13:01
I agree the law should be amended, but only to make it ILLEGAL to sell these devices as well! The availability of bird callers should be strictly controlled, and only allowed in cases of serious scientific study. Over-the-counter availability is courting abuse.
Using them in public gardens to sound like real birds! Yeah right, pull the other one, Mr Mercieca.
Anthony Formosa
Oct 25th 2009, 12:37
@ patrick Cooke,
First and foremost these devices are manufactured in EU, and you can even buy them online, secondly what is imported is regulated, so what is your point? Recently it was reported on the same news paper that in six months more than 150,000 syringes were given FREE to drug addicts to continue with their abuse. Mr Cooke a fisherman uses bait for his catch, and we use decoys, whistles and live birds to attract others which are effective.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Oct 25th 2009, 12:09
So is the purchase of knives, machetes and axes legal over the counter.
A 12 inch carving knife, an axe or a 10 inch machete can be bought from any household goods shop or ironmonger.
It is the misuse of such items that is punishable by law. In fact any one found in possession of a knife or other bladed weapon used in a crime is charged with the use of such without a license.
So what is wrong with purchasing a bird caller. In fact local ornithologist are recorded in the press recently as having used one to attract swifts to their mist nets to be ringed. Is this legal?
If bird callers are misused then there are laws to see to that. In fact I really do not see the value of this article other then to give Birdlife a helping hand at achieving nothing.
Paul Barrett
Oct 25th 2009, 12:02
For illegal or legal use, they are a nuisance as the repetitive excessively loud calls going on for hours and hours without a break are enough to drive you mad.
joe Camilleri
Oct 25th 2009, 11:28
So what !!!!.
Even other things are illegal to use in one place and legal to use in another place.
This is nothing but another cheap stunt by the anti hunting/trapping lobby.