BirdLife urges public to report illegal hunting

BirdLife Malta urging anyone who witnesses protected birds being killed or any other illegal hunting incidents to report these to the police and inform BirdLife Malta.

"Every autumn we receive calls from members of public reporting shooting at protected birds, illegal hunting in protected areas, dangerous shooting close to residences, vehicles and other places where people are," BirdLife Malta's Conservation Manager Nicholas Barbara said.

"But it is important that people also report these incidents to the police directly, as they are more likely to be able to act on information from eyewitnesses of illegalities," he added.

Every autumn, BirdLife Malta carries out surveillance of illegal hunting activities with the help of local and foreign volunteers participating in its annual Raptor Camp, which also monitors bird migration and seeks to deter the illegal shooting of protected species.

The video and photographic evidence it gathers, as well as the testimony of eyewitnesses, is used to support police investigations and prosecutions of illegal hunting, BirdLife said.

"We often use information provided by members of public to guide our surveillance activities and in many cases this has led to successful prosecutions, so the importance of the public continuing to report incidents cannot be stressed enough," Barbara added.

BirdLife Malta also reminded the public of its voluntary injured bird recovery service, which it operates throughout the year to rescue injured wild birds and wherever possible to rehabilitate and release them back into the wild.

"The volunteers and staff who help to provide this service are dedicated to saving the birds they rescue, the vast majority of which are protected species that have been shot by illegal hunters and the autumn and spring hunting seasons are always the times when the most protected birds are shot."

Every injured wild bird recovered by BirdLife Malta is examined by a veterinary surgeon, trained and experienced in avian veterinary care, who diagnoses any injuries or illness and provides a prognosis based on the bird's condition.

Today, BirdLife Malta passed one injured bird, a Night Heron found in Mellieħa yesterday, to police who will take it to the government vet for treatment of a fractured right wing caused by the impact of shotgun pellets.

A shot Squacco Heron also recovered yesterday has been deemed fit for release and will be taken to Is-Simar Nature Reserve in Xemxija this afternoon, where it will be able to feed in the wetland's lagoon while its injuries heal.

Raptor Camp officially starts tomorrow, but local BirdLife Malta staff, volunteers and locals birdwatchers have already started monitoring the autumn migration, receiving reports of illegal hunting and recovery shot protected birds. The first two weeks of September have seen migration of birds of prey and other protected species building up steadily, with sightings of hundreds of Marsh Harriers and Honey Buzzards, as well as colourful Bee-eaters and aerobatic swallows.

"It is an ugly reality that the timing of the start of the hunting season to coincide with the start of autumn migration results in protected birds being killed on such a large scale," Barbara said, adding "but it is a reality we can all do something to change if we take action to stop it."

A summary of what is legal and what is illegal during this year's autumn hunting is available on BirdLife Malta's website, www.birdlifemalta.org , along with instructions for how to report illegal hunting to the police and what information they will need.