Updated | CABS find 72 illegal bird callers, police apprehend 24 offenders

Hunters filmed shooting more than the bag limit, not sending SMSs, CABS say • Ministry issues third enforcement report

Photo showing two hunters who shot 3 birds each near Buskett on Saturday
Photo showing two hunters who shot 3 birds each near Buskett on Saturday

Hunters have installed an estimated three-figure number of illegal electronic lures for Quail and protected waders in the Maltese countryside, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said today.

During the last four nights volunteers of the organisation conducted spot checks in all five statistical districts of Malta.

According to CABS a total of 72 devices were located in Ramla Bay, Red Tower, Selmun Palace, Il-Maghtab, Ta' San Pietru, Ta' Benniena, Ta' Qali, San Martin, Ta' Mrejnu, Wardija, Golden Bay, Mgarr, Gnejna Bay, Ta' Santi, Victoria Lines, Tal-Abatija, Dwejra Lines, Fomm Ir-Rih, Wied Rini Radio Station, Irdum Tal-Vigarju, Mtahleb, Fiddien, Dingli Cliffs, Buskett, Tal Virtù, Gebel Ciantar, Fawwara, Has Saptan, Zurrieq, Ghar Lapsi, Hal-Farrug, Gudja and the Delimara peninsula.

“As our survey only covered a small part of the island the number of callers heard by our teams is only a small percentage of the true figure. A realistic guess would be in the low hundreds,” CABS Operations Officer Axel Hirschfeld said.

CABS added that the police were called several times but did not manage to confiscate a single device. “The fact that such a large-scale illegality goes unpunished is absolutely irreconcilable with any zero tolerance policy or strict supervision which is one of the conditions of the derogation for spring hunting.”

According to article 8 of the European Birds Directive the use of bird callers is regarded as a method used for the illegal mass killing of birds.

“The problem is that the ALE is not on duty before 5am and the local police do not seem to be willing or able to deal with the situation,” CABS said.

The NGO said that it would nevertheless provide the ALE with a detailed map of locations from where the bird callers can be heard.

According to CABS each unit is composed of a loudspeaker, a large battery for power supply, a bird caller which imitates the courtship songs of the Quail and a timer which activates the pre-recorded bird calls in the night.

“To protect the devices from being stolen or confiscated by the police the hunters have locked them in metal boxes or used oil barrels which have been embedded or filled with concrete or large boulders”, CABS explained. “Normally the callers start to sing around midnight and stop an hour or two before sunrise.”

The reason why they are only active in the night is simple: Quails only migrate at night. “If a hunter uses a bird caller he can be sure that the Quails in the surroundings are attracted to his hunting ground whereas his hunting neighbour either comes away empty-handed or opts to use an artificial lure himself. It is a domino effect“

CABS also reported that on Saturday morning one of its teams managed to film two hunters who shot three Quails each close to Buskett Gardens thus shooting more than the bag limit of two birds per hunter and day. Both men also failed to report their catch by SMS as required and continued hunting after they shot three birds each.

They were stopped by the ALE who took their particulars and instituted proceedings against the two men.

Government reaction

In a reaction, the government issued its third update on enforcement since the start of the spring hunting season.

“Several thousand migrating protected birds were observed over the Maltese islands, including several species of ducks, Marsh Harriers, Montagu’s Harriers, Kestrels, Black Kites, Honey Buzzards, Eleonora’s Falcons, Golden Orioles, Cuckoos, Nightjars, Swifts, Swallows, Flycatchers and even a very rare Long-legged Buzzard,” the animal rights ministry said.

The ministry said that around 70 law enforcement officers from the police and the Armed Forces of Malta had been deployed between 5am and 2pm, while 40 enforcement officers continued regular patrols until 9:30pm.

Further patrols were also carried out at specific locations at night-time. Officials from the Wild Birds Regulation Unit continued to provide technical assistance with the enforcement operation on a 24-hour basis, and have also carried out separate field inspections and patrols around specific locations.

“Surveillance was supported by the unmanned aerial vehicle which flew over a dozen sorties over specific locations, over protected areas during times when hunting was not permitted,” the ministry said.

“Until Sunday 20 April, officers carried out several hundred routine field patrols and inspections, as well as a total of 1,003 spot-checks on individual hunters. In the course of these inspections and spot-checks, a total of 24 suspected offenders were apprehended. A total of 30 suspected offences were disclosed until Sunday 20 April, of which 24 offences were of minor nature.”

Nature of the offence

Number of cases

 Hunting within prohibited distances

 4

 Possession of a shotgun with a magazine capable of holding more than 2 rounds of ammunition

 4

 Possession of overloaded shotgun

 1

 Failure to declare shooting of a game bird

 1

 Failure to be in possession of the special license and / or carnet de chasse whilst hunting

 4

 Failure to declare going out hunting on the carnet de chasse booklet.

 5

 Leaving a firearm unattended

 2

 Possession of heavy gauge shot

 2

 Possession of pre-recorded bird calls

 1

 Total

 24

Six violations are considered to be more serious as these involved suspected targeting of protected birds, or hunting within a bird sanctuary, as follows:

 Nature of the offence

 Number of cases

 Illegal trapping of protected birds

 3

 Illegal shooting of a protected bird (swallow)

 1

 Hunting in a bird sanctuary

 1

 Possession of a shotgun during unpermitted hours (case of suspected illegal hunting)

 1

 Total

 6