Another white stork was shot dead late yesterday morning in Mellieħa, the second confirmed killing of the protected species.
The police arrested a man in connection with the incident in the afternoon. Officers searched the man’s house and the hunter reportedly admitted to shooting the bird, sources said.
Another stork was shot last Tuesday in Marsa. The hunter was arraigned, fined €5,000 and given a suspended jail sentence, but the police have appealed, seeking an effective prison term.
More white storks arrived yesterday, joining the original flock of 10 spotted earlier in the week.
Witnesses told Times of Malta hunters also illegally targeted the flock of storks at Tal-Ħandaq, in Qormi, but failed to kill any of the birds.
Ornithologist Natalino Fenech said most of these birds were very young, barely three months old, and were undertaking a very perilous journey toward Africa.
In a reaction the FKNK hunters' federation said Police officials had confirmed to it that in all probability this report refers to the arrest of a man in connection to the shooting of a dotterel (Charadrius morinellus - 210 mm in length, more or less the size of the turtle dove, a legal game-bird) and not a white stork (Ciconia ciconia - 1000 mm in length).
"Notwithstanding, both species are classified as strictly protected and therefore the FKNK repeats that such cowardly acts of illegal shooting of protected bird species, are in no way connected to legal sustainable hunting, and again warns, that its reaction and that of genuine hunters, will ensure that persons who commit such criminal acts will not find refuge anywhere."
"Such illegal acts continue to shed a bad light on the otherwise genuine true hunters and the FKNK itself despite the fact that these are not at fault," the federation said.
It said it would do its utmost to ensure that the 'remaining handful of lawbreakers,' whose illegal actions are harming the Maltese and Gozitan hunters were eradicated for good.
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