Bird massacre around Prime Minister's summer residence

Dozens of protected birds of prey and herons were shot this evening in several parts of Malta and Gozo.  The bad weather led to a massive migration of kestrels and the world endangered Lesser Kestrel to the Maltese Islands.  Reports reaching MaltaToday talked of hunters shooting next to the Prime Minister's summer residence in Girgenti and gunning down Kestrels and Hobbies. Apart of Grey Herons which are also protected.  Birdwatchers in Buskett talked of dozens of falcons dancing in the air as they fed on flying insects.  The Buskett reserve is a very small copse of Aleppo pines which is generally safe for  migrating birds, but in general the outskirts of Buskett hold several poachers who gun down Birds of Prey as they attempt to roost in the nearby trees. Killing is just for the fun of it.  But many still keep the trophies to occasionally stuff them.

Birdlife Malta activists told MaltaToday that since the end of a camp in September manned by foreign observers hunting abuses have increased. In spite of attempts by the hunting lobby led by Lino Farrugia to give the impression that Maltese hunters are law abiding citizens, abuses continue.

In the last weeks several examples of illegal hunting have taken place including the shooting of a sea eagle, better known as the Osprey.  Both political parties - the Nationalists and Labour party -  have been trying to give the impression to Brussels that Maltese hunters are law abiding citizens but the most recent events prove that hunting in Malta remains indiscriminate.