“In order to catch greenfinches, linnets and other finches, the men used huge clap-nets and cages with numerous live decoy birds to lure migrating finches,” the NGO said in a statement.

CABS also released an aerial picture of a trapping installation found in Mqabba which was equipped with 5 pairs of clap nets operated from a single hide making it the single largest illegal bird trapping site ever found by CABS on Malta.

“It is clear that this massive site was constructed to catch hundreds of birds per week and to generate large financial profits”, CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows said adding that one bird can be sold for over €100 on the black market.

CABS’ teams make use of covert surveillance to document and record the illegal activity and then direct officers from the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) to the trapping sites.

The NGO also sharply condemned the government´s plans to lift the spring hunting moratorium for turtle dove and to create a loophole in the law that will allow poachers to falsely legitimise taxidermy trophies of illegally obtained protected birds by using old registration documents to launder freshly killed specimens.

“This will further contribute to Malta’s international reputation as a ‘poacher-state’ whose irresponsible politicians are actively supporting the destruction of Europe´s biodiversity to secure votes in the upcoming election”.

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