The massive police presence in the countryside promised by the Government during the autumn hunting season has not materialised, Birdlife Malta said yesterday.

At the end of the first week of Birdlife’s Raptor Camp, which monitors the peak migration season for birds of prey over the island, the conservationist NGO said illegal hunters continued to get away with shooting protected species.

“We have seen this week that when police have a visible presence, hunters are deterred from committing illegalities,” said Raptor Camp coordinator, Christian Debono.

“As soon as patrols are absent, so is the incentive for hunters to exercise self-control and refrain from shooting at protected birds.”

Birdlife said the numbers of raptors migrating through Malta this week had been relatively low due to a strong northwesterly Mistral wind.

Such a small number of patrols cannot possibly police hunting across the island adequately

Nevertheless, it was still seeing and receiving reports from members of public of other protected birds, such as bee-eaters and swallows, being targeted, and had recovered several shot protected birds, including honey buzzards, marsh harriers and night herons.

Birdwatchers and Raptor Camp volunteers have noted the presence of mounted police in the Buskett area and the secondment of Armed Forces of Malta personnel and vehicles to form units with Administrative Law Enforcement officers.

However, the number of patrols and officers observed suggests there have been far fewer resources allocated to enforcement of the hunting season than a statement by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Rights last month had indicated, Birdlife claimed.

Raptor Camp teams visited an average of eight different locations around Malta in the morning and afternoon between last Sunday and yesterday, and recorded a maximum of 12 officers patrolling in five vehicles in any one shift.

Although this represents a small increase over last year, it was still a long way short of the 80-100 officers promised by the Parliamentary Secretariat, Birdlife said.

“Such a small number of patrols cannot possibly police hunting across the island adequately to prevent protected birds being killed,” Mr Debono said.

Last week, three Raptor Camp volunteers witnessed two honey buzzards being shot down in quick succession in the south of the island just before 4pm.