Finch trapping is prohibited under EU legislation. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Over 1,300 songbirds have been smuggled from Italy to Malta over the past three weeks, reflecting the illegal trade of protected birds spurred by the government’s decision to reintroduce trapping.

The birds were seized in three different incidents. Last Friday, two men attempted to smuggle more than 700 songbirds into Malta via the catamaran service from Sicily.

Last Monday night, another 551 songbirds were discovered hidden in 18 boxes in a van’s back compartment that had boarded the catamaran destined for Malta.

These two incidents topped the seizure of another 100 songbirds in Għaxaq – the majority were greenfinches and goldfinches – all wearing false rings intended to give the impression they had been bred rather than wild birds.

1,900

of 4,625 applications received this year were from new trappers

On October 8, the court fined the perpetrator €500 and the birds were confiscated.

The smuggling of finches yields thousands of euros in income to the suppliers – a finch can easily fetch €100 to €250 in Malta when it is bought for close to nothing in Sicily.

Law enforcement officers told The Sunday Times of Malta that the protected birds seized were just the tip of the iceberg.

The derogation (exemption) from the EU Birds Directive being implemented by government following years in which the trapping of songbirds was banned has created a demand for the protected birds leading to their illegal smuggling from abroad.

The demand arises because live decoys are needed on trapping sites to lure in the wild birds with their song. That enables the trappers to capture a flock that lands on the net following the bird’s call.

Law enforcement officers told The Sunday Times of Malta that the quota of 27,500 songbirds set for the trapping season does not take into account the birds being captured illegally to meet the demand in Malta.

Close to half the trapping licences for next season were issued to individuals who never had one before, according to figures provided by the Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretariat.

Out of 4,625 applications received this year, 1,900 were issued to new trappers, effectively spawning a new generation of trappers.

When Malta joined the EU it had been given a transitional period until 2008 in which to phase out this activity. The country had committed to stop issuing new trapping licences.

The bulk of new licences issued were for the trapping of finches, which are protected.

The European Commission is calling on the Maltese government to reconsider its decision to resume finch trapping. This practice is prohibited under EU legislation on the conservation of wild birds.

Member states may derogate from the requirement of strict protection only in the absence of other satisfactory conservation solutions and if the conditions for using such derogations are met.

Arguing that no such justification exists in this case, the Commission has decided to send a letter of formal notice, urging Malta to comply with the relevant EU rules.

“A trapping derogation has to be justified according to set criteria. In Malta protected birds will be trapped just for the sake of it,” Commission sources had said, adding that in their view this was “a very clear cut case”.