50 International volunteers join BirdLife's conservation camp

BirdLife Malta will launch Spring Watch, the international conservation camp, on Sunday 15 April, with 50 international participants joining Maltese birdwatchers to monitor spring migration of wild birds from Africa to their breeding grounds in Europe.

"The international participants include professional ornithologists and bird watchers as well as writers, artists and filmmakers coming from Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Poland, the UK and Ireland," BirdLife said

The camp, timed to coincide with the peak period for spring migration in Malta, runs concurrently with the large part of the spring hunting season opened on Thursday 12 April. 

As well as recording observations of migrating birds for use in scientific studies, BirdLife teams will also monitor the spring hunting derogation, recording and reporting illegalities to assist the police in their efforts to enforce the conditions of the derogation.

The NGO explained that in the last two years, the occurrence of illegal hunting incidents in spring has increased concurrently with the reintroduction of spring hunting seasons after being banned in 2008 and 2009 due to an interim measure imposed by the European Court of Justice. 

"Last April, during the spring hunting season alone, the number of illegalities recorded by BirdLife Malta and CABS (the Committee Against Bird Slaughter) reached 751, after the season length was increased to 15 days, from 6 days in 2010," BirdLife said.

The Maltese Islands lie on the Central European Migratory Flyway, one of three main routes for migration of birds between Europe and Africa. The NGO explained that to date 120 different species, including Flamingos, Spoonbills, Eagles, Kites and Storks, have been recorded flying over Malta and using the islands as a resting and feeding spot on their migration.