‘Are You Happy Now?’: Outrage Ensues As Maltese Personalities Condemn Delimara Bird Killings
Maltese activists and politicians have spoken out and condemned the mass massacre of protected birds in Tas-Silġ, in Delimara.
Among the first to speak out was Independent Councillor Steve Zammit Lupi.
“Now what did you gain through this?” He asked. “Four birds alive but injured and one dead. Five birds whose journey has ended here. You vanished and left a mess behind you. Are you happy now?”
“And where are the politicians? They’ve found time to talk about everything but where nature and birds are concerned they chose silence!”
“They are obliged to see that laws are abided by, and not only put on paper!”
PN spokesperson Peter Agius also took to social media, describing the incident as a “massacre on protected birds.”
“A majestic creature protected by law everywhere but here,” he said. “Hunting is a hobby all over Europe but here in Malta we only hear about these obscenities. And almost every week.”
“This is a failure of the system.”
And newly elected PN Shadow Environment minister Janice Chetchuti also spoke out, condemning the act as one of ‘barbaric nature’.
“They shot them, they left them there, on the floor. They injured most and killed one,” she said.
“There needs to be more enforcement [of the law]. Whoever is guilty of this cruel act needs to suffer the consequences.”
In response to the act, the FKNK hunters lobby said it will help the authorities investigate the case and ensure that the criminals involved no longer hold a hunting license.
“The FKNK warns, that it will not stand for anything or anyone that may even dare mar, in any manner, all the good work it carries out on behalf of its thousands of loyal and genuine hunter and trapper members that ensures the enjoyment of our traditional socio-cultural practices, besides the conservation of the natural environment,” the federation said.
NGO BirdLife Malta had been following these birds after several hunters were spotted tracking their movement. Though after sunset, several gunshots were heard in the area.
“A whole flock of protected western Marsh-harriers was decimated by hunters,” BirdLife wrote on social media. “The protected birds of prey were trying to roost in the valley and were illegally targeted during the night.”
“Police were called on-site to do a search, and only five birds were found: four were injured and another one was retrieved dead from the area.”
The NGO released a video documenting the find of the birds recovered, including footage of the Marsh Harriers trying to roost the night before, along with night-vision footage of them being shot down.
Do you think more needs to be done to safeguard protected birds in Malta?