Illegal bird trappers arrested, 25 live birds seized by police

Investigations carried out by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) led to the police arrest of two men over the weekend.

In the first case officers of the Administrative Law Enforcement (ALE) caught a poacher red-handed on a trapping site close to Pembroke after CABS alerted the authorities on Sunday morning. 

Ten live finches and numerous trapping paraphernalia including clap nets, springs and cages were confiscated by the police.

“The trapper admitted that his trapping site was not licenced and will be taken to court,” CABS said.

On the same day, CABS also observed and filmed a finch trapper on a non-licenced site near Ghallis Tower in the Salini area. The man had set up an active clap net and 15 cages with live decoys including Goldfinches, Hawfinches, Siskins and Linnets.

“When the police arrived, the poacher escaped but later police confirmed that they have identified him on the basis of his car´s number plate and the footage taken by CABS.”

In a third case the Law Court in Victoria found a man from Ghajnsielem (Gozo) guilty of illegally trapping finches during the closed season and using an illegal bird caller in March this year.

He was filmed and reported by members of a CABS team who were also called as witnesses during the trial on Thursday. The man was fined €700 and his trapping licence was revoked for two years.

CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows praised the suspension of the licence but criticised the fine as being “insignificant” and in conflict with the announcement of the government´s declared policy of tough action against illegal bird hunting and trapping.