Two illegal finch trappers were caught over the weekend after activists alerted police to their activities, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter said this morning. 

In the first case, a man was caught red-handed trapping birds yesterday at a site close to Pembroke after CABS volunteers spotted him illegally trapping birds. Officers from the Administrative Law Enforcement section found 10 live finches, nets, springs, cages and other trapping paraphernalia. The trapper admitted his site is not licensed and will now face court charges.

On the same day CABS also observed and filmed a finch trapper on a non-licenced site near Għallis Tower in the Salini area, the organisation said in a statement. The man had set up an active clap net and 15 cages with live decoys including goldfinches, hawfinches, siskins and linnets.

When the police arrived, the poacher escaped but later police confirmed that they have identified him on the basis of his car´s number plate and the footage taken by CABS.

In a third case, a Gozo court found a man from Għajnsielem guilty of illegally trapping finches during the closed season and using an illegal bird caller in March this year. He was filmed and reported by members of a CABS team who were also called as witnesses during last week's trial.

The man was given a €700 fine and his trapping licence was revoked for two years. CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows praised the suspension of the licence but criticised the €700 fine as being “insignificant” and in conflict with the announcement of the government´s declared policy of tough action against illegal bird hunting and trapping.