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BirdLife – Seabird researchers ‘target of violent intimidation’ by hunters in Gozo
BirdLife say researchers’ car covered in dents from the spray of lead pellets
12 September 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
1 min read
The damage caused by the spray of lead pellets from the shotgun fired at the vehicle being used by researchers from the EU LIFE+ Malta Seabird Project yesterday afternoon.
Researchers from the EU LIFE+ Malta Seabird Project were the target of a violent act of vandalism and intimidation in Gozo yesterday when the car they were using was shot several times while parked on the road in a protected area, BirdLife Malta said.
Three ornithologists from the project were visiting the site, which is home to the largest colony of Scopoli's Shearwaters in the Maltese islands, to fit identification rings to the young chicks on their nests as part of the study of this important population.
BirdLife said that at about 4:30pm, two members of the group who were standing at the edge of the cliffs heard a volley of shots from a shotgun, but were unable to locate the person who had fired the shots in the immediate area.
"When the team returned to the road two hours later they found one side of the car covered in dents from the spray of lead pellets that were on the ground, together with tiny flakes of chipped paint from the car," the organisation said.
Commenting on the seriousness of incident, Steve Micklewright, BirdLife executive director, said: "This kind of act of aggression and intimidation is obviously completely unacceptable. That it was directed at these individuals, apparently for no other reason than that they are ornithologists working for BirdLife Malta, is of course of grave concern to us, because of the threat to the personal safety of our staff and volunteers working on this and other conservation projects.
"With volunteers arriving from all over Europe to join Maltese volunteers for the start of Raptor Camp this weekend, we are anxious to avoid a repeat of this incident and will do everything we can to make sure that our fieldworkers are safe."
Abdi D •
Who said it was the hunters, it could have been the birds.
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I bet that Simple Simon will soon say that Joseph Muscat is to blame!!!!!
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@ joe.buh – You came to the conclusion that hunters were involved in this incident because BLM said that hunters did this. – What the facts show are, a car which was being used by ornithologists with pellet dents on the side and what the BLM said, that 2 out of a group of people heard a volley of gunshots but nobody was seen in the immediate vicinity and that after 2 hours they found the car in that state. No evidence other than a photo of the damaged car was presented but you and BLM with prejudice came to the conclusion that it was hunters that did this. Without prejudice I may arrive to the conclusion that it may have been a scorned lover that did this damage to the car!! – Now regarding the stuffed birds and bird carcasses found in Xaghra Gozo you again concluded that the person involved is a hunter. From what I’ve read he must be one HELL of a hunter with all the Flamingos, Ospreys, Kites and Storks that were found.
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Mr kola farrugia. You know what is the evidence of these hunters,that they shoot on what ever it comes overhead, every type of protected bird.If you read the news of what the police found in a hunters house probably you will understand what is the evidence.
Luke Camilleri •
Just who have shotguns in Malta ? The Sisters of Madre Therese members of FKNK?
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I love birds and I think that education is the key for bird protection. Extreme action from both sides of the spectrum is no good. Hunters must try harder to eliminate the cowboys within their fold.
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"Seabird researchers ‘target of violent intimidation’ by hunters in Gozo"
Any proof they were hunters?
I'm not saying that it wasn't hunters who did this but without any evidence except the dents on the car your title or quote are just as they say in Maltese tpatpit! biss!!
