Birdwatchers taking part in this year's Raptor Camp found what they claim to be a "massive" illegal wader trapping site in Żurrieq, BirdLife said yesterday.

About 52 volunteers from eight countries in Europe along with Maltese conservationists are taking part in BirdLife Malta's Raptor Camp to monitor bird migration and illegal hunting.

Birdlife said the site discovered yesterday covered an area of almost 4,900 square metres and had three large nets, illegal electronic tape lures playing calls of protected species and plastic decoys of protected bird species.

An alleged illegal trapper who was filmed collecting his decoy birds and running away shortly before the police Administrate Law Enforcement section arrived on scene was arrested, BirdLife said.

"The trapper was clearly after protected birds as he had decoys of protected species as well as golden plover, which cannot be trapped at this time of the year. The government's decision to apply a derogation allowing the trapping of four species is, as expected, being used by some trappers as a loophole to continue illegally trapping protected species," BirdLife's conservation manager Andrè Raine said.

Bird trapping is banned in the EU under the Birds Directive. The government this year announced it would apply a derogation to allow trapping of turtle dove and quail between September 1 and October 10 as well as golden plover and song thrush between October 20 and January 10.

Finch trapping is no longer allowed in Malta as the five-year transition period to phase out the practice, agreed upon with the EU during Malta's accession talks, expired at the end of last year.

Another illegal wader trapping site was reported by CABS, the committee against bird slaughter, which is running a separate bird conservation camp and 29 waders were released at the Għadira reserve last Saturday.