Mandarin Duck shot dead at Salina reserve

A Mandarin Duck was shot dead yesterday morning at the Salina Nature Reserve, BirdLife Malta has revealed.

While no hunting is allowed at the sanctuary, the duck was found floating dead in the middle of the Sukkursu canal.

According to BirdLife, the Environmental Protection Unit within the Malta Police Force found a firearm left in the reed bed by the culprit.

The owner of the gun is now being investigated for this crime.

“It is utterly sad that during this year, which has seen an unprecedented rise in illegal killing incidents, individuals such as the one being investigated feel comfortable enough to enter a bird sanctuary in broad daylight and fire at a sitting bird in such a manner,” the NGO said in a statement.

The European Commission has recently initiated infringement proceedings against the Maltese government on spring hunting and finch trapping on the argument that Malta is breaching the Birds Directive.

Two infringement procedures are being put forward - one against a derogation from the EU ban on finch trapping, and another on the reopening of the trapping season.