Two hunters have been caught on tape shooting down protected turtle doves, footage published by Birdlife Malta shows.

Earlier, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter also published footage of two separate men, who were accompanied by a minor and another hunter, firing shots at the protected birds in Selmun, collecting at least one.

Officers of the Administrative Law Enforcement managed to apprehend the men and the footage will be used as evidence.

The issues don’t end there. Birdlife also published a series of photos of several other shot protected birds during this year’s season, including birds of prey, herons, Golden Orioles, Hoopoes and Bee-eaters.

Birdlife singled out the area of Miżieb as the “mecca of illegalities where in the past a number of shot protected birds have been found at times buried under rocks”.

This year’s spring hunting season was opened despite COVID-19 social distancing measures. Activists warned that enforcement could be an issue, with ALE officers also tasked with overseeing COVID-19 measures