A "staggering" 31 protected birds have been shot down during this year's autumn hunting season, with poachers targeting at least four kestrels (Spanjuletti) during the past 24 hours, BirdLife Malta has said.
The NGO said that despite the raptor migration season drawing to a close, during the past days eight protected birds had been shot down, ranging from kestrels to herons and House Martins.
All cases had been reported to the police, BirdLife Malta said. Organisation CEO Mark Sultana said that authorities reluctance to act despite the spate of illegalities had left a negative impact.
"All this could have been avoided had the government shown ... zero tolerance to illegal killings," the NGO argued.
BirdLife Malta had called on the government to suspend the hunting season in mid-September, after its members reported two protected black storks having been shot dead.
The government immediately shrugged off the request, saying it would only act on the advice of its Ornis Committee.