MORE GOOD NEWS FROM MALTA

MALTESE HUNTERS JAILED

Tue, 12 July, 2011 - Maltese law courts yesterday sentenced a hunter to two years imprisonment and a €9,000 fine, and another to one year imprisonment and a €5000 fine, for the targeting of White Storks on the 18th May this year. All hunting licenses were permanently revoked for both individuals. Of a flock of 200 White Storks which first arrived in Malta, less than half were confirmed as leaving the island safely.


This is a real landmark case for Malta as sentences have previously been more lenient in such cases.

Both hunters were found guilty of contravening several sections of national hunting law including; hunting out of season, hunting protected birds, the use of illegal cartridges with large pellets, and the use of an illegal irregular shotgun.

In sentencing them the court also took into consideration the fact that in spite of both accused having several previous hunting convictions they persisted in hunting illegally.

One of the hunters was apprehended by two police officers with a dead stork and a loaded shotgun after the officers heard shots at a roosting flock of White Storks and saw two of the birds being shot down. Another two hunters managed to escape. Two dead storks and a third injured and dying stork were recovered from the area.

The other hunter was seen with his shotgun when several shots had been fired at a large flock of White Storks and an eye witness gave his number plate to the police. He was later apprehended and he admitted chasing the storks seeking an opportunity to shoot, but denied successfully shooting them. A dead stork was recovered from the area the day after the incidents.

BirdLife Malta congratulates the police on their action in these incidents and in the successful prosecutions.
This is a big step forward in the campaign against illegal hunting. A big part of this campaign is running conservation and monitoring camps such as Spring Watch and Raptor Camp. At these camps we monitor numbers of migratory birds, maintain a presence in the countryside and collect evidence to help bring individuals such as the above to justice. If you’re interested in helping the cause then you can join us this Autumn, 14th September – 2nd October. Details at www.birdlifemalta.org.

This post was written by Birdlife, which comprises more than 100 conservation organisations working together to promote sustainable living as a means to conserve biodiversity. BirdLife Malta is the BirdLife Partner in Malta.