Ahead of the start of the spring season this weekend, the hunting federation and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) issued contradictory statements on the enforcement of hunting laws.
While the hunters’ federation warned that any illegalities would result in heavy fines and possibly imprisonment, CABS denounced what it described as impunity with regard to illegal bird trapping.
The spring hunting season this year opens on Easter and closes on April 21.
The hunters’ federation warned members that any illegalities could jeopardise future spring hunting seasons, apart from the criminal consequences such breaches could have.
“During this season, which, as always, will be strictly supervised by law enforcement agents, hunting will only be legally permissible for quail in accordance with established quotas, special licence, fixed timings and compliance with the respective laws and regulations within the framework of the derogation that is being applied,” the federation said.
An aerial survey this month unearthed 180 active trapping sites
The federation and the government were working closely to ensure the Maltese traditional spring hunt could be extended for “Malta’s chief game-bird, the turtle dove” as soon as possible, it added.
CABS highlights trapping concerns
But the bird lovers cast serious doubts on the enforcement of hunting laws.
Noting that the trapping season was closed, it said that an aerial survey this month had unearthed 180 active trapping sites.
“Compared to 2017, when 133 active sites were counted in a similar survey, this equates to an increase of about 35 per cent in just one year”, said CABS wildlife crime officer Fiona Burrows.
This rise was blamed on what CABS termed the government’s complete failure to set up an effective and proactive enforcement system during the closed season.
“With enough resources and clear instructions from above, the police could easily arrest dozens of trappers every day. Instead, it seems that the responsible people within the government have decided to look the other way and give the poachers free rein to trap birds during the closed season,” said CABS press officer Axel Hirschfeld.
CABS explained that it had taken the initiative to monitor selected sites itself over the past 10 days by means of video cameras and telescopes.
The exercise led to the arrest of 13 individuals, but CABS complained that officers from the police administrative law enforcement unit in Malta, but not Gozo, had been ordered not to confiscate the live decoys used despite them being key pieces of evidence.
It said the government’s Wild Birds Regulation Unit had been consistently unreachable by phone when assistance was required.
CABS pledged it would continue its surveillance activity until the end of April and would send its findings to the European Commission and the European Court of Justice.
The latter is expected to rule about the future of finch trapping in Malta soon.