Bang, bang, bang, more birds are shot down

45 volunteers today take to the Maltese countryside in a bid to monitor a hunting season that will last until January, over the period of just two weeks between 16 and 30 September.

It is a daunting task, but for BirdLife Malta's raptor camp organisers, watching the hunters during the spring and autumn seasons are regular annual appointments that keep the public informed of what goes on behind the bushels and the hunting hides.

"You have to be lucky to capture the bird shot and hunter responsible for the shooting on camera to ensure justice is done. Without adequate policing, it is almost impossible to protect all the birds and stop illegal shooting," BirdLife's communications coordinator Rupert Masefield says.

The lack of police monitoring is an issue when it comes to monitoring the huge swathes of land covered by hunters during the migratory seasons, but BirdLife says the Administrative Law Enforcement unit is not being appropriately equipped for the job it is supposed to do.

"Malta needs better equipped police to monitor these incidences," consveration manager Nicholas Barbara says. "The ALE should have a number of police officers dedicated particularly to wildlife protection. The problem is that there aren't any political parties willing to fight for this."

With just 18 ALE officers deployed, roughly 20 local volunteers and 70 international volunteers dotted around Malta and Gozo, Barbara says this is nothing compared to the 10,000 registered hunters. "Over the last three years, we have also hired an ALE officer to come with us during the raptor migration period. We pay him and he is shared between camps to improve communication with the police," he says.

BirdLife's raptor camp has been running for the better part of the last 20 years, and each year bird watchers and volunteers watch as many birds fall victim to illegal hunting during the raptor migrating period.

Malta is on the European-African migratory flyway, and is a critical area for birds to rest and refuel while undertaking their taxing annual migrations between European breeding grounds and African wintering grounds.

The most common migrants at this time of year are Honey Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, European Hobby and Common Kestrel, while other migrants include Osprey, Montagu's Harrier, Eleonora's Falcon and Lesser Kestrel. 

While recording migration data at surveillance posts, volunteers will also remain vigilant for illegal hunting and trapping activities, with camp attendees effectively be working as 'look-out posts', passing on information to the police regarding illegal hunting activities to assist in their investigations.

The volunteers will record data on illegal activities as well as gathering evidence through cameras and video cameras.

"The shooting of birds happens in a split second and we have to have evidence to present to the police and authorities. A general rule is to have cameras locked on birds travelling over so if birds are shot at and downed, we can then give it to the police. It would also be best to record the hunter on camera to be later identified," Barbara says.

At times, in the absence of police, the presence of Raptor Camp teams is extremely useful in curtailing illegal hunting activities, as poachers are less likely to shoot at protected species if they know that these teams are in the area with video cameras.

Past experience shows that the mere presence of birdwatchers who will report infringements to the police is an active deterrent.

Another method of reporting includes witness reports given by the teams or public with visual evidence.

"These are all compiled to determine the number of birds shot, although this is just a fraction of the total number of actual shots fired or birds killed. The figures we manage to compile are just the tip of the iceberg compared to what is actually taking place out there," a concerned Barbara says.

During last year's Raptor Camp, 31 protected species of birds were received from the public and confirmed to have either been shot at or killed by gunshots.

In 2011, 405 illegalities were recorded and 83 incidents of reported shootings while other incidents recorded involved hunting outside of permitted hours.

Barbara says that Birdlife has been lobbying for a hunting ban after 3pm since it is when birds of prey fly low and are at their most vulnerable. "It would help to decrease illegalities. Another challenge are the illegal electronic callers. Hunters leave these on all night attracting birds to their area but it is not the natural way these birds would find their place to roost."

More evidence has also started to indicate a new phenomenon which is hunters taking advantage of the cover of darkness when the police and ALE are absent.

"We spot a number of birds in flight with injuries after being shot at, but not shot down. Most are fresh injuries so we know that these injuries are unlikely to have happened before they arrived to Malta. It's not the first time birds of prey, like eagles, stay overnight and hunters shoot at them," Barbara says.

A remarkable number of raptors migrate across Malta and taking the bodies received into consideration, Barbara says hunters tend to go for the rare bird. "It's almost like organised crime because they know it's illegal and yet, they still do it. The Black Stork is one example of a bird which is becoming rare because as the forests become more reduced, roosting places become more scarce as a result," he says.

Barbara recalls how a black stork he was monitoring around the airport one early morning last year, was reported dead at 12pm by the public, retrieved from the sea. "We might see 10 in a whole year. It is a very rare but a highly persecuted bird by hunters. There have been many conservation projects to protect species around Europe, and then these birds come over Malta simply to be shot down by Maltese hunters," he says. BirdLife has long lobbied for a dedicated wildlife crime unit, an idea which was also (surprisingly) supported by the hunters' federation FKNK.

But, didn't FKNK accuse BirdLife of attempting to incriminate FKNK during a recent BBC radio documentary?

"Look, it's not the first time we've been accused of these things so many times. FKNK comes up with a lot of claims of zero tolerance but our question to them is how many members have been removed from their organisation?" Barbara replies.

The hunters' lobby has also accused BirdLife of being aware of illegal acts which it then uses as PR stunts against the organisation, as was the discovery of bird carcasses of protected prey. "The search was conducted by police," Barbara says.

"Hunters were shooting within the hunting reserve and hiding the evidence police. If birds are too badly damaged by the shot, hunters hide them. FKNK accuses us but we observe these things happening."

I ask Barbara if, despite the flying accusations, there has been any consideration of working with FKNK considering their adamant denial of illegally hunting birds.

He shakes his head.

"We can't work with FKNK. We still don't know what action they have taken against illegal hunting. Have they revoked any licenses or memberships? They're not helping themselves by not revealing these things. I sincerely hope that we will be able to work together in the future but the climate at the moment doesn't permit us working together."

For further information regarding Birdlife Malta's Raptor Camp, visit: www.birdlifemalta.org