BirdLife denies any of its volunteers is being investigated

BirdLife Malta said today that none of its volunteers were under investigation for passing information to the police.

The NGO said it had been wrongly claimed in sections of the media that one of its members could be under police investigation for providing information to hunters on the whereabouts of BirdLife volunteers during the Spring Watch camp.

It said the police had confirmed that was not the case.

However, BirdLife said, a security officer from a company contracted to provide protection services to its volunteers in the field, is being investigated for leaking such information.

"It was the security company itself that informed BirdLife Malta that the person in question (a former hunter) had provided advance information to a hunter on the arrival of birdwatchers during the last Spring Watch Camp. As soon as the security company knew this, it took immediate action to relieve him of his duties and he is no longer employed with the company."

BirdLife said it remained committed to dialogue with law-abiding hunters and its collaboration with the law enforcement authorities to put an end to illegal hunting in the Maltese islands.