Hunter pleads guilty to shooting protected bird species

A man has pleaded guilty after he was arrested yesterday while hunting a protected species of bird during the closed season, with an illegal shotgun.

Mark Buhagiar, 38, of Rabat, was arraigned before magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit this morning. Police inspector Colin Sheldon accused the man of shooting a turtle dove in the Nigret area of Rabat, during the closed season, in breach of his hunting licence, and using an illegal decoy.

Buhagiar was also charged with hunting by means of a semi-automatic shotgun which had a magazine that could hold more than two rounds, openly carrying a firearm in the closed hunting season, failing to abide by the conditions of his firearms licence and handling a stolen shotgun.

The man had been apprehended yesterday after police received an anonymous telephone call informing them that shots had been heard in the area of Santa Katerina, in Rabat, during the closed hunting season.

BirdLife Malta members in the area had showed the police video of the hunter shooting at turtle doves whilst using another live turtle dove as a decoy. The footage also showed the hunter picking up a turtle dove from the ground. The hunter was arrested and the live turtle dove was later released.

Buhagiar pleaded guilty and was handed a fine of €2,000, payable over two years. His hunting licence was also suspended for two years.

For handling the stolen item, in this case the shotgun, the accused was conditionally discharged for six months.

The court also ordered the confiscation of all his hunting-related equipment.