BirdLife Malta has reiterated a call made by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter for the closure of the trapping season for Golden Plover because of widespread trapping activity, often at night, and with the illegal use of electronic callers.

BirdLife released a video showing the use of electronic callers in various locations in the countryside.

"Over the course of November and December, we have been receiving on a daily basis alerts by members of the public, reporting the use of electronic callers for Golden Plover during the day and night, with little or no police action taken to control them. Questions made to the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) during an Ornis Committee meeting held last Thursday have revealed that although there has been a reported presence of 30 to 35 enforcement officers in the field during the trapping season, only 11 fines for the use of electronic callers were issued over the past four months of hunting and trapping."

This, BirdLife said, was a meagre amount considering that during this period over 10,000 hunters and 4,000 trappers were active in Malta’s countryside.

BirdLife also observed that during last Thursday’s Ornis Committee meeting, it was confirmed that the quota of 700 Golden Plovers allocated for this year’s trapping season has not yet been reached, despite birdwatchers having witnessed one of the most exceptionally good years for migration of this species.

“While the use of electronic callers is by far unregulated, these devices are very effective at attracting these birds to a trapping site, and have become part and parcel of our rural countryside”, commented BirdLife Malta’s Conservation Manager Nicholas Barbara.

"This goes against the spirit of strict supervision demanded by this derogation which should regulate each trapper to trap up to six birds after which trapping should be halted."

Members of the public were urged to report illegalities on telephone number 119. The use and locations of electronic callers should be registered via GPS locations and also reported immediately on on info@birdlifemalta.org.