1,300 inspections in first five days of hunting season

BirdLife Malta said on Sunday it received the second confirmed shot Marsh Harrier (Bagħdan Aħmar) in a week.

The protected bird of prey, with evident gunshot injuries, was found by cyclists on the ground at Miżieb Sunday morning. The hunters’ federation FKNK (Federazzjoni Kaċċaturi Nassaba Konservazzjonisti) claims that the land where this protected bird of prey was found shot is theirs.

This year’s spring hunting season is open only for Common Quail. Quail hunting is not typically carried out in Miżieb as this area lacks the ideal habitat for it. So any hunting that happens there these days is likely for protected species, like in this case, BirdLife said.

The Marsh Harrier was recovered and passed on to BirdLife Malta. The injuries to the right wing were particularly bad. Marsh Harriers are common migrants to the Maltese Islands, occurring in large numbers in both the spring and autumn. At this time of the year they will be making their journey to their breeding grounds across northern Europe.

This is the second Marsh Harrier BirdLife Malta has received during the first week of the spring hunting season. Another shot Marsh Harrier was recovered from Gozo on Friday. These two casualties follow the sighting of an injured Pallid Harrier (Bagħdan Abjad) at Delimara on Sunday 1 April, the first day of the 2018 spring hunting season.

In a separate statement the government said the Wild Birds Regulation Unit, together with the police, carried out 1,300 inspections in the first five days of the hunting season.

More than 1,000 were carried out in Malta, while 332 inspections were carried out in Gozo.

The inspections led to the removal of illegal decoys.

The ALE also carried out 157 inspections to monitor laws pertaining to the carrying of weapons.