419 protected birds with gunshot injuries were reported or delivered to BirdLife Malta and the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and a further 741 illegal hunting and trapping incidents were recorded by the conservation organisation in 2007, BirdLife revealed during a press conference held today .

BirdLife Malta presented its Illegal Hunting and Trapping Report 2007 and a supplementary report dealing with the protected birds delivered to NMNH in 2007 and the first two months of 2008. BirdLife's report deals with all the shot protected birds and illegal hunting and trapping incidences the organisation received from verifiable sources.

"We have always said that the protected birds BirdLife was receiving was only the tip of the iceberg," said Dr. André Raine, Conservation Manager of BirdLife Malta. "In order to have a better understanding of the current situation we contacted NMNH, which is the sole official body that receives killed protected birds from BirdLife, the Police or MEPA. We discovered that a further 338 protected birds of 115 species were delivered to NMNH over 2007 and the first two months of 2008."

BirdLife officials stated that this high figure was still far from representing the true scale of illegal hunting in Malta. "Many more incidents go unreported, as many injured or dead protected birds are never found," continued Dr. Raine. "Considering the lack of resources available to the ALE in particular, the number of criminals who get away with the illegal killing of protected species is likely to be much higher. Furthermore, shot protected birds must first escape from the poacher and then be found by a member of the public who is willing to report it to the Police or BirdLife, before eventually being delivered to NMNH."

The BirdLife report also illustrates the international impact of illegal hunting activity in Malta. In fact, four foreign-ringed protected birds were reported as shot in Malta in 2007, with two from Finland, one from Sweden and one from Germany.

"One can actually state that conservation efforts abroad are being shot down in Malta," said Dr. Raine. "The grim results presented in these reports show in no uncertain terms that illegal activities are rife in the Maltese countryside. It is telling," he continued, "that the report shows that many of the protected birds targeted by poachers were of conservation concern in Europe, with a large proportion (42.5% of species) given additional protection under Annex 1 of the Birds Directive."

The three most common species with gunshot injuries reported to BirdLife were Common Kestrel (Spanjulett), Marsh Harrier (Baghdan Ahmar) and Honey-buzzard (Kuccarda), in that order. It was also found that nine of the raptors had been illegally kept in captivity after being shot before being subsequently abandoned. This continuous persecution of raptors means that Malta has the dubious distinction of being the only country in Europe and the Mediterranean with no breeding birds of prey, with species like the Peregrine Falcon (Bies) and the Barn Owl (Barbagann) no longer breeding on the islands.

The BirdLife report also highlights how widespread illegal hunting was in 2007, with shot protected birds that were delivered to BirdLife's office originating from 48 locations in Malta and Gozo and illegal hunting incidents being recorded in 84 locations. The data shows that the three worst areas for illegal hunting incidents were Laferla Cross, Mizieb and Nadur (Malta).

Speaking at the press conference Tolga Temuge, Executive Director of BirdLife Malta, said: "These two reports once again highlight the extent of illegal hunting in Malta. Since election day we have been observing a serious increase in wild life crimes in the countryside. Yet, despite glossy promises on environmental issues before the election, we do not see any serious move from the Maltese government to turn words into action by seriously clamping down on all illegal hunting and trapping activity."

BirdLife Malta will be organising its first international spring watch camp between April 12-29 to monitor the spring migration of wild birds from their wintering grounds in Africa to their breeding grounds in Europe. Local and foreign ornithologists participating in the camp will also monitor all illegal activities that may occur and communicate it to the law enforcement units to ensure that the law is respected.

For more information on BirdLife's conservation efforts and to download a copy of the report, please visit www.birdlifemalta.org