A hunter was arrested this week for allegedly targeting protected birds under the guise of rabbit hunting, eNGO BirdLife Malta has said. 

The group said that they reported the man for hunting protected birds during the closed season after they observed him targeting wader species, allegedly making use of electronic callers and plastic decoys in the coastal area of Ta Qalet Marku. 

The man was apprehended by officers from the Environmental Protection Unit, with an investigation and court case expected, they said.  

BirdLife Malta said it is likely the man was making use of a rabbit hunting license to pass off his activities as legitimate, while supposedly targeting protected species. 

While the rabbit hunting season does coincide with the migration of these birds, the practice is rarely seen next to the coast. 

"Wader species such as Dunlins, Curlews, Oystercatchers, sandpipers, Avocets, greenshanks and redshanks and multiple other species have already started their migration to wintering areas, arriving all the way from Arctic regions, coinciding with an open rabbit hunting season which hunters keep abusing of to target these protected species," BirdLife Malta said. 

"Rabbit hunting is seldom practiced on the coastline and the season is open between 1st June and 31st December. The hunting season for birds only opens from the 1st of September."