CABS discovers carcasses of protected migrant birds

The organisation, which was monitoring the Dwejra Lines during the opening of the autumn season, said a find of seven freshly-shot Bee-eaters, two Swifts, a Sardinian Warbler and the remains of two Marsh Harriers, were found at the bottom of 19th century defensive ditch, some five metres deep.

All four species are strictly protected on Malta. Several dead racing pigeons were found, one of them wearing the ring of a local racing pigeon club.

CABS said that hunters had been observed on several occasions in the past few days shooting at protected species. “Some of these incidents were also filmed by a CABS patrol. The video material and the dead birds were handed over to the Malta environmental police unit ALE. Criminal proceedings are being initiated,” CABS said in a statement.

According to CABS, some 200 metres of the stretch of the densely overgrown and often almost penetrable ditch was searched. “We believe that many more dead birds can be found in the ditch,” CABS press officer Axel Hirschfeld said. “A search of the rest of the fortifications will only be possible with the help of professional climbing equipment.”

The Committee Against Bird Slaughter has been operating on Malta since 9 September as part of their autumn bird protection camp Operation Safe Voyage. CABS civil liaison officer David Conlin said the organisation was deploying six teams to the countryside daily, working as usual closely with the Administrative Law Enforcement unit.

“Although autumn bird migration is still far from its peak, the volunteer conservationists have already recorded numerous violations of Maltese Hunting Law and the European bird protection guidelines,” Hirschfield said.

“These include the shooting at or killing of down of birds of prey, Swallows, Swifts, Bee-Eaters and other small song birds. Other offences registered are the use of electronic decoy devices and weapons capable of firing more than three shots in succession. Illegal hunting has also been observed taking place after 23:00 hrs and on Sunday afternoon.”