The Munich-based CABS birdwatch group has reported rampant trapping for finches in Malta and a serious lack of law enforcement.
It said a survey flight it conducted last weekend showed that 69 bird trappers already had their sites active with nets out, days before the official opening of the trapping season on Tuesday.
A comparison of the site locations with the government's list of registered trapping stations for Golden Plover and Song Thrush showed that 53 of these sites are not listed, suggesting they are being used to trap other species such as finches or protected waders.
It was announced earlier this month that although trapping finches has been banned in Malta since an EU court judgment in 2018, hunters still will be allowed to trap protected songbirds on the pretext of a "study" on their migration habits.
“We contacted the Wild Bird Regulation Unit on nine occasions by phone to find out about the number of finch ‘research stations’ and what their locations were but no call was answered. No legal notice, GPS locations or regulations have been published by the WBRU. On calling the police we were baffled to hear that the Environmental Protection Unit has no information about locations of sites participating in the finch research study,” CABS wildlife crime officer Fiona Burrows said.
“Instead of a strict supervision we have a situation of total anarchy where even the police have no clue which rules apply, and which sites are being used for the study and which sites are being operated illegally”.
CABS criticised Prime Minister Robert Abela and Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri for creating and using the concept of a scientific study as a smokescreen to bypass the European Court of Justice (ECJ) which has already convicted Malta for breaching EU law by allowing finch trapping in the years 2014 to 2017.
“It is a shame that the government continues to disrespect the decision of the ECJ and it is a scandal that they claim to do this in the name of science whereas in fact their only motivation is pure partisanship and client politics,” CABS biologist and Press Officer Axel Hirschfeld said.
“The so-called study has zero scientific value but at the same time enables finch trappers to pursue their selfish passion and makes it impossible for the police to uncover abuse”.
CABS also confirmed reports that court delays could see people facing trapping or hunting crime allegations go unpunished if their cases become time barred.
“At the moment we have 16 cases involving 17 poachers which will soon reach or already have reached the time limit,” Fiona Burrows stated.
All cases were reported by CABS between April 2017 and April 2018 and have officially been charged by the police. The charges include trapping of protected species, trapping out of season, hunting during the closed season as well as the use of illegally modified firearms and electronic bird-calling machines.