Aerial survey flights conducted by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) earlier this month have revealed what appears to be a massive increase in illegal finch trapping in spring.
Despite only 30 per cent of Malta and Gozo being covered by the flight, a total of 127 active clap netting sites were photographed. During a similar count last year, only 51 sites could be located.
CABS said that nearly all of the sites spotted this spring have also been found active in October, when trapping was allowed by the government.
“The derogation for trapping in autumn revived the black market for live songbirds and led to a massive increase in prices which in turn also encouraged illegal trapping in spring,” said CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows.
We have been informed that many Maltese trappers go to Gozo to trap
She pointed out the opening of the trapping season last autumn also led to a massive increase in the smuggling of protected finches from Italy, with at least 2,093 birds seized by the authorities in just six months.
Over the last two weeks, CABS teams have been monitoring the sites on the ground. The police have been called 11 times, resulting in the apprehension of seven poachers and the seizure of seven pairs of clap nets.
Several electronic bird callers were also found and confiscated, as well as 18 live birds, namely linnets and greenfinch. The worst areas for illegal trapping were Dingli (20 sites), Birżebbuġa (11), Fawwara (nine), Żurrieq (eight), Baħrija (six), Żejtun (five) and Gozo (32).
“We have been informed that many Maltese trappers go to Gozo to trap, since there is no ALE there,” Ms Burrows said.
CABS announced that it would continue monitoring the sites until the end of finch migration in April. It called on the public to report all bird trapping sites found active in spring to the police or anonymously to cabs-malta@komitee.de.