Police ‘refusing to take action’ against illegal trapping

Police are refusing to take action against several trappers illegally trapping golden plover at night, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter have claimed.

“The problem is that the Administrative Law Enforcement, who normally deal with trapping cases, are only very rarely on duty during the night and that the local police feel that they are not responsible,” CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows said in a statement.

She said that CABS teams have reported 14 cases of illegal night trapping to the police since the golden plover trapping season was opened in November, but have yet to witness any direct action by police.

She recounted how two trapping sites in Siggiewi and Santa Lucija were each reported by CABS on two different nights but the police officers on the phone continuously explained that they were understaffed or underequipped to come.

“On several occasions the police also claimed that it is not their job to enforce trapping regulations and in one case from 30 November the officer on the phone told the volunteers that they had instructions not to go,” Burrows said. “One trapping site on the Delimara peninsula was reported to the police on the 13, 15, 18 and 30 November but in all four nights the police did either not attend or the officers on the phone said that they were instructed not to come.

“In three cases the officers of the district police told the volunteers that they would inform the ALE in the next morning but could do nothing else. Only one case is known where charges have been issued after the ALE visited a site reported by CABS in the previous night. It is understood that the trapper will be charged with the use of illegal Lapwing decoys.”

‘We have observed anarchy’  

Burrows warned that illegal trapping of golden plover is widespread, describing the situation as one of “anarchy”.

“Plovers are trapped illegally every night and in every part of the island. Most trappers use electronic bird callers marking loud and blatantly the areas where illegal trapping takes places with impunity,” she said. “Although it would be easy for the police to apprehend the culprits or at least dismantle the nets and switch off the callers, the district police either do not come at all or decline to do something.”

CABS also said that it had reported this insupportable situation to the Wild Birds Regulation Unit weeks ago. In its reply the unit informed CABS that permanent night operations of the ALE are not feasible due to costs and logistics involved.

“This is in stark contrast to the government´s statement that outside the allowed trapping hours “at least two (2) Police officers or marshals shall also be on duty,” she said.

To ensure that only a limited number of birds are caught, the government has set the season quota at 700 golden plovers.

However, golden Plovers are mostly nocturnal and trapping is illegal two hours after sunset and two hours before sunrise.

Indeed, CABS have claimed that the quota has already been surpassed if the illegal trapping is taken into accouny.

“We therefore urge the government to close the season for Golden Plovers with immediate effect”, CABS president Heinz Schwarze said, adding that a detailed report about the lack of enforcement will be sent to the European Commission.