Environmental police patrols starting after hunting hours, BirdLife claims

BirdLife Malta’s 2025 Raptor Camp has once again highlighted the scale of illegal hunting in Malta, with 242 incidents recorded in less than a month, between 12 September and 5 October.

Despite operating with an average of just three teams per day, composed of 12 international and 16 Maltese staff and volunteers, the teams documented an average of ten illegal activities daily.

Most of these cases, 72%, involved the illegal use of electronic callers—devices that broadcast recorded bird calls to lure prey. One in five of these callers targeted protected species, including Stone Curlew (Eurasian Thick-knee), Grey Heron, and Long-eared Owl. Many hunters reportedly use the devices at night and in the early morning hours, switching them off by around 6:20am, a pattern observed across multiple areas and days.

BirdLife Malta noted that environmental police units often start field operations after hunting hours begin, making interception unlikely. Multiple reports filed by the organisation on the illegal use of bird callers have mostly yielded no enforcement results, apart from one incident in Naxxar.

The problem is compounded by a minimal police presence. Environmental Protection Police (EPU) sometimes deploy just a single unit across the entire island, a sharp contrast to previous years when up to six units patrolled during peak bird-of-prey migration. While officers respond to most reports made by BirdLife Malta teams, response times averaged 51 minutes, reflecting challenges in handling simultaneous reports from multiple NGOs and the public.

Birds of prey remain the main victims of illegal hunting. Most incidents targeted Marsh Harriers and Honey-buzzards, both strictly protected under Maltese and European law. Of the 19 shot birds retrieved by BirdLife Malta since the start of the season, a third were Common Kestrels. Police and other authorities have recovered at least six additional casualties, including highly protected species such as Eurasian Dotterel and near-threatened species like Audouin’s Gull.

In recent days, BirdLife Malta has appealed to senior police officials to increase field presence during the migration period, urging more officers for the Environmental Protection Unit to ensure coverage during early morning hours and across the islands.

With the hunting season set to intensify, the use of bird callers is expected to rise, as hunters exploit gaps in enforcement.

Nicholas Barbara, Head of Conservation at BirdLife Malta, said: “We are now attending to reports of protected birds found shot by members of the public on a daily basis, in what is a tangible collapse in enforcement capabilities that benefits only those intent on breaking the law.”

Meanwhile, politicians have praised the hunting lobby, but have made no public statements condemning illegal activities or supporting police in strengthening enforcement.