Birdlife Malta welcomes jail sentences for White Stork poachers

Birdlife Malta welcomed prison fines handed down to hunters found guilty of targeting protected White Storks during May earlier this year.

One man was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and a €9,000 fine, while another was sentenced to one year imprisonment and a €5,000 fine. Both hunters had their hunting licenses permanently revoked.

Both hunters were found guilty of contravening several sections of national hunting law including hunting out of season, hunting protected birds, the use of illegal cartridges with large pellets, and the use of an illegal and irregular shotgun.

BirdLife Malta congratulated the ALE “on their successful action in these incidents and today’s prosecution.”

“Enforcement in the field needs to be supported by effective court sentences like todays, if illegal hunting is to be controlled,” said BirdLife Malta President Joseph Mangion.

Mangion added he was “hopeful that future court sentences will increasingly serve as real deterrents to illegal hunting.”

Birdlife Malta also recounted the facts of the case, such as how during their sentencing, the court also took into consideration the fact that in spite of both accused having several previous hunting convictions they persisted in hunting illegally.

One of the hunters was apprehended by two ALE officers in Zurrieq with a dead stork and a loaded shotgun after the officers heard shots directed at a roosting flock of White Storks, and saw two of the birds being shot down.

Another two hunters managed to escape the ALE. Two dead storks and a third injured and dying stork were recovered from the area, Birdlife added.

The other hunter was seen with his shotgun in Madliena when several shots were fired at a large flock of White Storks and an eye witness gave his number place to the police.

He was later apprehended by the police, when he admitted chasing the storks seeking an opportunity to shoot at them, but denied shooting at them.

A dead stork was recovered from Madliena the day after the incident, Birdlife said.