Malta – 21. 10. 2024
Poaching under the watch of the Prime Minister - Malta Government opens finch trapping season.
CABS & police raid illegal trapping sites, seven poachers apprehended, one suspect caught trapping directly below Girgenti palace

The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) today slammed the government´s decision to once again open a finch trapping season labelling it an illegal licence-against-votes-scheme. “Robert Abela and many members of his cabinet have a long history of protecting and appeasing trappers and poachers to get their votes. Their latest step shows that they are not only willing to violate EU law and risk high fines but also sacrifice the concept of independent science for a group of hobbyists who seem have the government in a sweatbox”, CABS president Karl-Heinz Kreutzer said in a statement. He accused Gozo minister Clint Camilleri and its ministry of knowingly lying about the scientific value of the so-called research-programme. “This project will never produce any relevant results as it was never designed to collect data. It is a pseudo-science programme with the sole aim of helping trappers to continue with their selfish passion and replenish their aviaries with protected birds”, Kreutzer said.
CABS added that many trappers already put out their nets before the opening of the season was announced by the government on Sunday. In the last two weeks our teams, together with the police have filmed and caught seven bird trappers red-handed. “The EPU, who were notified by us, confiscated a total of 12 sets of clap-nets and 57 live birds who were either used as decoys or freshly caught” CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows stated. The confiscated birds were mostly finches but also included Blackbirds, Song thrushes and two robins which were discovered on a rooftop aviary near Luqa. According to CABS one poacher had built a huge trapping installation inside the Girgenti Bird Sanctuary less than 100 metres away from Girgenti Palace – an official residence of the Prime Minister of Malta. The man was apprehended on site and his trapping gear as well as numerous live birds were confiscated. He will face court for trapping during the closed season as well as for poaching inside a designated bird sanctuary where all hunting and trapping is forbidden.
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