Autumn hunting began this morning, but bird activists have yet to hear anything about an enforcement planning committee being set up, despite government assurances that it has been approved. 

In a statement, BirdLife Malta said that up to this morning they had not received any form of official communication about the reappointment of the Ornis Committee, "let alone a call for a meeting to discuss and plan enforcement as usually happens before any hunting season commences." 

Earlier this week, the NGO had held a press conference outside Castille to note that they had heard nothing about the Ornis Committee this year, mere days before autumn hunting began. 

WATCH: Days before hunting begins, still no sign of Ornis committee

The Environment Ministry had reacted by saying that the committee had already been officially approved and its members notified. 

This year, the committee is being chaired by retired magistrate Dennis Montebello, with Sergei Golovkin as secretary. The committee also features representatives from the hunting and NGO communities - although it appears the latter have been kept in the dark this year. 

BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana expressed concern at this state of affairs, arguing that the lack of communication could give the impression that poachers and law-breakers need not worry about being apprehended. 

The NGO noted that it had received several reports of illegal hunting over the past days, ranging from poachers using speedboats to hunt flamingoes at sea in Gozo to a poacher caught shooting down two birds of prey in Ras il-Wardija. 

Mr Sultana has now written to Environment Minister Josè Herrera, calling for an urgent meeting to discuss the situation and enforcement against hunting illegalities this season. 

Malta's autumn hunting season will remain open until January 31, with approximately 10,000 licensed hunters permitted to shoot 40 species of bird.