The police clamped down on three bird trappers and dismantled seven nets over the past few days, the Munich-based Committee Against Bird Slaughter claimed on Friday.

In a statement on Friday CABS said that over the past week it has reported six "severe infringements" to the police's Environmental Protection Unit (EPU).

“In all cases, the EPU responded very quickly and met with our teams to see the video evidence and catch the poachers," CABS' wildlife crime officer Fiona Burrows said. 

Despite several sites being located in very difficult terrain, the police managed to catch three offenders and dismantle seven sets of clap-nets used for the trapping of Chaffinches, Siskins, Serins and other songbirds, according to the committee.

“One poacher managed to run away before the police reached his trapping hide. However, we are optimistic that he can be identified from video evidence," Burrows added.

Twenty live decoy birds were also seized and taken to a rehab centre where a vet certified that they could be released back into the wild. 

CABS claimed that this year the poaching of birds with clap-nets is as widespread as it was last year, with the highest density of trapping activity being recorded in coastal areas such as Dingli, Baħrija and Delimara. 

It added that while the officers responding to its calls usually do their best, "the current enforcement regime is still far from being an effective deterrent".

“For an individual poacher, the risk of being convicted is still extremely low. This is compounded by the total failure of the government to stop the illegal trade and take action against fake breeders who steal birds from the wild and sell them as captive-bred specimens," CABS spokesperson Axel Hirschfeld said.

“If the government really wants to establish an effective enforcement regime – as it has promised to the EU on many occasions – it should stop turning a blind eye to the booming black market and close all legal loopholes which are used to launder and sell trapped birds.”