Stuffed birds dumped in St Julian’s valley

Updated 2.30pm

Two stuffed birds have been found dumped in a valley in St Julian's, according to the Malta Ranger Unit (MRU).

The NGO said the two stuffed birds – a flamingo and a heron – were first spotted in Wied Il-Balluta by a member of the public, who informed the MRU, which in turn alerted the police force’s Environmental Protection Unit. 

The MRU noted that the disposal of taxidermy specimens, especially those of protected species, required specific procedures.  

Disposal of taxidermy specimens that are part of a registered collection must be authorised by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) in writing. This applies to the disposal of both individual birds and collections. The authority also oversees the possession and transfer of such specimens.  

“If you're buying a property where there is a collection of taxidermy, it's very important that you don't just dump them,” the NGO said, adding that reports on dumping of stuffed birds could also be sent to the EPU and the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA). 

Environmental NGO BirdLife Malta said the dumping illustrated why illegal hunting continues in Malta. It blamed it on two amnesties granted in the past for taxidermy collections. 

"As a result, it is easy for hunters to dispose of old stuffed birds in order to acquire new ones," the organisation said. 

In the first amnesty offered in 1997, hunters declared holding close to 240,000 stuffed protected birds. The next amnesty was granted in 2003, when hunters declared possessing another 282,000.

However verification process was ever completed.

"Some hunters claimed to have certain bird species in their collections which, in reality, they did not possess," the NGO said.

"These lists therefore became 'wish lists', with the intention of acquiring the birds before their collections were verified.

"This has allowed the illegal hunting of protected birds to continue."