Abuses bring out shortcomings of new hunting regulations

Flagrant abuses of hunting regulations as well as the recent theft from the abattoir of six suitcases containing the skins of some 750 protected birds have shown the loopholes in the law and that the penalties are not enough of a deterrent, police sources said yesterday.

Four of the suitcases stolen last week had been seized by customs and police last month after they were imported by two men on their return from Cairo via Athens. The other two had been seized by police and customs in other operations some three years ago. All the suitcases formed part of pending investigations or court cases and were being kept at the abattoir until the court case was over.

The suitcases contained mostly skins of birds of prey such as eagles, buzzards, vultures, owls and other large birds including spoonbills, pelicans, herons as well as colourful birds such as little green bee eaters, various species of kingfishers as well as waders. Most of the birds are not found naturally in Malta and hence are not covered by Legal Notice 41 of 2003, which defines birds as "any bird which occurs or has occurred in the wild in Malta".

"Even if the police were to find the exotic birds in hunters' homes or at taxidermists, it would be almost impossible to press charges against anyone about it," the sources said.

"Their possession would not be illegal, even if they had not been registered - because they do not occur naturally in Malta; they are not protected," the sources said.

The only exception could be of species such as birds of prey which are covered by the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species.

There is brisk underhand trade in protected birds as many hunters seek birds for their collections. Imported eagles sell up to Lm600 per specimen. Those shot locally can fetch even more. Lm1,200 was offered for a griffon vulture shot in Malta a few years ago.

Other birds such as flamingos and storks sell for between Lm30 and Lm100.

"Another factor is that when the schemes for registering protected birds were announced, many hunters declared more stuffed birds than they actually had, so that they would have no problems when they acquired new protected birds. Thus the birds stolen from the abattoir could easily end up in local collections," the sources said.

Hunters do not seem to be deterred by recent regulations laying down that those caught shooting birds listed as "strictly protected species" face fines of up to Lm1,000. All other species carry fines of up to Lm500.

"Unless the penalties are made stiffer, with the automatic loss of gun and permanent loss of hunting licence for shooting at protected species, we will not make much headway," the sources said.

A 24-year old hunter found with a gun that had its serial number erased - it was most probably stolen - was apprehended at Hal-Farrug at the weekend.

The gun was loaded with five cartridges instead of the three allowed, and he was in possession of three dead honey buzzards and a cuckoo, all of which are protected species. The buzzards are strictly protected. A search at his home yielded a purple heron, which is strictly protected, another cuckoo and a white-winged black tern.

Several other hunters were found hunting without a licence, including a 15-year old who was found hunting at Maghtab. Some had dead protected birds such as golden orioles, hoopoe, tree pipit and short-toed lark. With the current regulations, the court will not confiscate their shotgun as the birds were not specially protected and they were not hunting in nature reserves.