Police in Malta have seized 29 protected wading birds that had been caught by illegal trappers. The incident took place on the very first day of Operation Safe Haven, an initiative by the German group Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) with support from International Animal Rescue to protect migrating birds from illegal shooting and trapping. A police patrol from the Administrative Law Enforcement department (ALE) was alerted by volunteers from the birdcamp and they reached the site and rescued the waders only fifteen minutes later.
One bird guard volunteer described the operation: “After detecting the trapping site we observed it from a distance and it soon became clear that two nets had been set up. We became suspicious and decided to take a closer look. Our suspicions were confirmed. The distinctive taped calls of a Redshank, a protected species, were heard coming from a loudspeaker. Through a spotting scope we were also able to confirm the presence of protected bird species in an aviary next to the trapping site. We began to collect evidence on film from a nearby track, when a man ran out of the hut, blocked our way, and began to swear at us. The man then tore open the car door and spat directly in the face of the co-driver - all of which we recorded on film.”
In order to prevent the situation escalating the conservationists drove off and alerted the police. The ALE patrol which arrived promptly arrested the culprit shortly afterwards and took him to the police headquarters in Floriana for questioning.
Meanwhile a second ALE patrol searched the trapping site and freed 29 Little Stints as well as Wood and Common Sandpipers. The birds, which were neither ringed nor registered with the authorities, were confiscated and later the same day released into the wild at Ghadira Nature Reserve. The trapper faces prosecution for offences against bird protection regulations. A further charge of spitting at the CABS team member was dropped on the insistence of CABS after the man apologised in writing.
The CABS bird guards will continue operations to combat illegal bird shooting and trapping in Malta until to 4 October. Anyone who can provide information about further illegal trapping sites or offences against the hunting law can do this by email to [email protected]. All information received will be treated with complete confidentiality.