More than 70 per cent of the protected birds targeted by illegal hunters since September 15 were shot at in the afternoon hunting hours previously covered by the 3pm hunting curfew, Birdlife Malta said.

It said this was established by data recorded through its Raptor Camp bird migration monitoring and illegal hunting surveillance activities

Birdlife said that, last autumn, when there was a curfew prohibited hunting after 3pm between September 15 and 30, the proportion of protected birds targeted in the afternoon was 17 per cent.

The organisation said that almost three quarters of the protected birds targeted in the afternoon have been birds of prey, which are protected in Malta under national and international law.

“It is a travesty that the lives of protected birds have been sacrificed to give hunters a few more hours to shoot, when it is evident that few legal hunters actually hunt in the afternoon because the turtle dove and quail that can be legally hunted are present mainly in the morning,” Birdlife Malta executive director Steve Micklewright said.

He said that the removal of the curfew made it easier for illegal hunters to target protected birds of prey with absolute impunity, using the cover of legal hunting hours and shooting.

BirdLife reminded anyone witnessing illegal hunting to call the police on 112, 2294 2161/62/63 or 119.

Anyone finding injured birds can contact Birdlife on 2134 7644 – 46.