International Animal Rescue Malta has always worked very closely with the ALE section of the Malta police. This section is responsible for the enforcement of laws to protect the environment.
In 1996, IAR donated a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) to the police equipped with a 90 horse power engine to protect Maltese waters from illegal hunting. With the help of the RIB, the ALE managed to take legal action against several lawbreakers at sea.
Following the donation of the RIB, some hunters equipped their boats with more powerful engines and so IAR Malta started a campaign to acquire more and better equipment for the police. After talks and evaluation of the work done by the ALE at sea, IAR UK decided to replace the engine with a bigger one and gave the police a 165hp engine. A second engine for another police boat was donated through IAR Malta from an environmental group in Germany known as the Komitee. While the IAR engine was on its trial run at sea, the police intercepted two men who were illegally importing a number of songbirds from Sicily into Malta.
The two engines will now form part of a bigger fleet used by the police to patrol our seas. The new Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment is also buying two RIBs for the section, so the fleet will consist of four boats in total.