WATCH: BirdLife Malta Release 13 Minutes Of Illegal Trapping Footage Shot Over The Past Few Weeks
With Malta set to open the spring hunting season in just four days, NGO BirdLife Malta has released a montage of illegal trapping caught on camera over the past few weeks.
Amid the turmoil caused by the COVID19-coronavirus pandemic, some trappers have taken advantage of the lack of policing by practising the illegal act of capturing finches during the offseason.
The video once again brings to light the ongoing issue of illegal hunting and trapping in Malta, worsened by the lack of policing brought about by the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While the Administrative Law Enforcement (ALE) police unit was still operational during the first days of our fieldwork, the unit was eventually absorbed on COVID-19 quarantine duties, leaving such enforcement matters to District Police which managed to attend and in some cases attend to our calls,” said BirdLife Malta in a press release.
“Finch trapping during March and April, despite being illegal, was recorded along various parts of especially coastal areas in Malta and Gozo. Trappers have evidently had a field day catching finches, with some even getting confiscated items back, and continuing to trap nonchalantly as we show in this video.”
Yesterday, the Maltese government approved the opening of the spring hunting seasons with some restrictions in place, despite a backlash from several NGOs, eNGOs and the general public.
The Police Officers Union also spoke up against the opening of the hunting season this year, fearing that it would put an unnecessary burden on the police force who are preoccupied with inspections and the enforcement of preventive measures issued as a result of COVID-19.
“The Police Officers Union would like to express its disapproval of the news that this year’s hunting season will be open despite the fact that members of the police force are currently carrying the burden of inspections and enforcement of COVID-19 measures,” they said in a Facebook post.
What do you make of the decision to open the spring hunting season? Let us know in the comments below
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