Bird trapping: Poacher arrested 24 hours after conviction on same offence

A poacher has been caught trapping birds illegally 24 hours after he was convicted for the same offence, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said today.

The NGO said one of its films yesterday morning filmed and reported a man who was trapping finches on an unregistred trapping site and without any permit in Miġra I-Ferħa.

“The police responded very quickly, arrested the trapper and confiscated 20 live finches as well as a large set of clap nets. Our video evidence clearly shows that it was the same person who on Thursday – barely 24 hours before being caught again – was convicted for illegal trapping during the closed season in spring 2019,” CABS press officer Axel Hirschfeld said.

“It makes him the ‘Usain Bolt’ of repeat offenders,” Hirschfeld added.

The police confirmed to CABS that the man is a repeat offender who stood trial the day before he was caught again.

The case from 2019 was based on a report of a CABS team who filmed the man red-handed on 19 March 2019, also in Miġra I-Ferħa. On Thursday this case was being brought at court where Magistrate Elaine Mercieca fined him €1,500 and also ordered the revocation of his trapping licence.

“Apparently the penalty did not deter this man to continue with his selfish and illegal hobby. However, when he was arrested yesterday we could see that he was visibly shaken as he did not expect to be nabbed again so soon,” Hirschfeld said.