More than eight of every 10 cases against hunters and trappers end in a conviction, according to information given in Parliament.

Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia said there were 506 court cases from 2013 to last October, with 81.7 per cent of the trappers and 80.6 per cent of the hunters found guilty.

Some cases were still pending, and of those already concluded, only 29 hunters and 37 trappers were found not guilty, Dr Farrugia said in reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina

The information presented to Parliament also shows that 87 hunters had their licence suspended. It was revoked for life in the case of another 11. For trappers, 106 had their licence suspended. Six had it revoked for life.

Fines amounting to almost €400,000 were imposed in the period under review.

It also resulted that of the hunting offences, 35 involved protected species.

The penalties by numbers. Graphic: Design Studio

The number of arraignments – particularly for trapping – fell after the spring hunting referendum of April 2015, when 50.4 per cent voted in favour of retaining spring hunting.

The Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Rights insists hunting enforcement has been drastically increased, but conservationists argue this is down to “statistics”.

A spokesman for Parliamentary Secretary Clint Camilleri told the Times of Malta last September that the government had implemented major reforms to combat illegal hunting.

“Enforcement during migration seasons was doubled, intensity of field inspections and spot checks increased more than fivefold and penalties for the illegal killing of highly protected birds increased tenfold,” he added.

The Home Affairs Minister said in Parliament that there were currently 10,517 hunting and 4,534 trapping licences.