Bird trapping in Malta
Bird trapping with nets has a long tradition in Malta. Trapping sites are found everywhere in the Maltese landscape - on coastal cliffs as well as on fields and even in the middle of cultivation. They consist of two nets lying horizontally on the ground with a length of 10 to 50 metres, which are held in tension by springs. Between them there is an open space where you can often find food or water or where there are decoys and lures. A bird trapper hidden in a stone hut not far from the catching point triggers the nets manually when birds gather on the open area.
Malta has several thousand such sites. The smaller ones are mostly used for catching finches, the big ones, often equipped with ponds, for catching wader birds.
In addition, Maltese bird trappers also use gill nets and cage traps. The cage traps are small devices for catching individual birds (usually finches), but also aviary-sized traps are used, which function like a cage with catch openings on the roof and are mainly used for turtle doves. Quails are caught with ground nets laid over vegetation.
The EU Birds Directive prohibits bird-trapping, but leaves room for exceptions and derogations. Malta makes use of this ability to a legally highly questionable extent and allows several species to be caught with nets. While finch trapping has been banned since 2017, the capture of live decoys, which may be used for hunting, remains permitted. Many trappers use these permits to prepare their trapping sites at any time - seemingly for the approaching trapping season, but in reality to target protected species or operate their facilities outside the authorised times.
Since 2004, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) have been actively campaigning against illegal bird-trapping in Malta through our bird protection camps, researching and lobbying for an end to the derogations allowing the use of nets.
Songbird trapping
Finches such as linnets and goldfinches are popular cage birds in Malta. Until 2017 they were allowed to be caught with a special permit in autumn - since then the trappers have been using their nets illegally.
Wader trapping
While in autumn and winter it is allowed to catch golden plovers with nets, poachers often use the same trapping sites for illegal trapping of waders in late summer.
Live decoy trapping
Malta allows certain species to be used as decoys in hunting. Fishing permits have been issued for this purpose, but unauthorised traps and nets have also been found time and again.