Illegal hunting was “under full control” but the Government did not exclude suspending the season if the situation worsened, Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights Roderick Galdes said yesterday.
Responding to written questions following the slaughter of protected eagles, Mr Galdes, whose secretariat is responsible for hunting, said closing the autumn season early was “not necessary at this time”.
“While the Government rejects the notion of collective punishment, it cannot be excluded that other, more drastic measures may be called for at some point in future, including the possibility of suspending the season, should this be deemed necessary,” Mr Galdes said.
He stressed that such “drastic measures” would only be justified if there was “systemic failure” and not in response to “isolated incidents”.
The season is scheduled to end on January 31.
Ten lesser-spotted, booted and short-toed eagles were killed on Wednesday, conservation NGO Birdlife Malta said, and many more suffered shotgun injuries.
Another lesser-spotted eagle was killed in Buskett yesterday morning and a short-toed eagle was shot dead in Gozo.
They were part of an unusually large flock of eagles that flew over the islands looking for roosting sites.
The killings took place in eight locations around Malta and Gozo. Birdlife claimed “dozens” of hunters targeted the birds.
“This was the first big arrival of rare protected birds this season and the islands became a shooting gallery,” a Birdlife spokesman said.
Mr Galdes described the crimes as “blatant”.
Before the season started, he promised unprecedented numbers of law enforcement officers would be deployed. Yesterday, he said several police patrols were providing surveillance at sites where the eagles had been roosting.
The police were being assisted by the chairman of the Ornis Committee and officials from the Specialist Enforcement Branch of the Wild Birds Regulation Unit in their investigations.
One suspect was apprehended late on Wednesday over the killing of a short-toed eagle in Siġġiewi. The police said he was expected to be arraigned. Several other suspects were being interrogated.
Mr Galdes was confident that the eagle killings were “isolated”.
While the Government rejects the notion of collective punishment, it cannot be excluded that other, more drastic measures may be called for
“Apart from this unfortunate incident there has been no indication that the increased enforcement was not having an effect,” he claimed.
Birdlife conservation officer Nicholas Barbara disagreed, saying: “The description of the scale of killing in the past 24 hours as an ‘isolated incident’ and the claim that only a few bad apples are responsible for killing protected birds is not consistent with reality.”
Mr Galdes denied that the Government’s pre-electoral agreement with hunters had emboldened poachers.
“There is absolutely nothing in this agreement that could, in any way, be interpreted as encouraging illegalities,” the Parliamentary Secretary said.
“To the contrary, emphasis was made on the fact that the traditional socio-cultural activities of hunting and live-capturing would only have a future if these are practised in line with the principles of sustainability and in strict accordance with the EU, national and international legislation.”
The Nationalist Party released a yesterday statement condemning the “massacre” of protected eagles.
It accused the Prime Minister of trying to “extinguish the fire he started” by enacting amendments to the Wild Birds Regulations to increase fines and prison sentences for illegal hunting.
A Legal Notice authorising the amendments was expected to be published today.
“These [illegal hunting] incidents are increasing because the Government reduced controls and restrictions on hunting,” the Opposition said, referring to the decision to remove the requirement for hunters to pay a licence fee and wear armbands in the last spring hunting season.
Birdlife welcomed the introduction of more stringent penalties for hunting crimes as a “major step forward”.
The hunters’ federation (FKNK) told Times of Malta it was concerned that the latest poaching incidents would provide fodder for hunting opponents.
“Hiding one’s head in the sand has never been the approach of the FKNK – we will take the bull by the horns and take immediate and drastic action against anyone found guilty by the competent court,” a spokesman said.
Asked about perceptions that hunters cannot be trusted around protected birds, the spokesman said: “The FKNK encompasses the widest spectrum of social strata possible.”
He added: “In all sectors of life, there is always the black sheep element, and the larger the number, the greater the possibility of having such an element,” pointing out that the federation had some 10,000 members.
Thousands of hunters would have been in the field when the eagles arrived and the vast majority did not target them, he added.
pcooke@timesofmalta.com