Police apprehend over-zealous hunters

The hunting season opens on March 25 and already police officers from the administrative law enforcement unit have apprehended a number of men who were allegedly hunting or trying to.

A man was caught in Delimara on Monday morning in possession of a freshly killed marsh harrier, a strictly protected species. Another hunter was stopped in Salina, a bird sanctuary.

A number of electronic bird callers, the use of which is illegal, were seized from trappers in various localities.

Birdwatchers have reported the shooting of protected species from several localities over the past few days. Birds such as grey herons, night herons and harriers were seen being shot at from Burmarrad and Mizieb even on Sunday afternoon, when hunting is forbidden including in the open season.

A woman who lives close to the Mriehel by-pass yesterday afternoon called The Times after she found a hoopoe in its death throes suffering gunshot wounds.

Close to 400 hunters and trappers were taken to court last year and accused of violating hunting-related regulations. A total of 66 were charged with hunting at sea and over 300 were accused of breaking hunting regulations on land.