Ten trapping sites with active clap nets have been discovered by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter since mid-August, despite the season being closed.

It said most of the sites were located in the south, with four very large sites found in the fields around Żurrieq and Safi.

CABS wildlife crime officer Fiona Burrows said nearly all were using illegal bird callers, which sometimes could be heard over kilometres.

Two trappers, she said, were caught red-handed by the Administrative Law Enforcement police after CABS alerted them.

Two sets of clap nets and two illegal bird callers were seized as evidence. CABS said two men are expected to be arraigned charged with the illegal trapping for protected oystercatchers, redshanks and dotterels.

The other eight sites were reported to the police with exact locations and net photos.

According to CABS, its efforts have led to at least 21 successful prosecutions for illegal bird trapping in the last three years with fines ranging from €500 to €7,000 and 16 trapping licences being revoked.

CABS press officer Axel Hirschfeld noted he had observed a considerable difference in the handling of the cases between the law courts in Malta and those in Gozo.

“The chances of a trapper being acquitted or receiving a much-reduced fine are more likely if the case is heard on Gozo,” he said.

He noted that a finch trapper was yesterday fined €500 by the Gozo court for illegally trapping finches during the closed season in spring.

The case was filmed and reported to the police by a CABS team monitoring the countryside near Qala in March. The accused also had his hunting licence and weapons suspended for two years.

Three CABS members were summoned as witnesses and attended court from abroad, but they were not asked to testify.

CABS noted that in this case, the travel expenses for the foreign witnesses, who were called by the court, were three times higher than the hunter’s fine.