Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1107757
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 APRIL 2019 YANNICK PACE A programme for the captive-breeding and release of turtle doves run by the Federation for Hunting and Conserva- tion (FKNK) will see its third release of birds into the wild this coming June, the federation said. The FKNK said that every year, on occasions like Mnarja, Children's Out- ings and the St Julian's Feast, its mem- bers release turtle doves they had bred. The project was launched in 2017 and has seen the FKNK release 400 birds in May of that year, and a further 700 in 2018. The project originally had to be launched in 2004 for the breeding of finches, in preparation for the ban on finch trapping that was to happen in 2009. "The aim of this project, one of sev- eral that the FKNK has embarked on, is so that as soon as possible, the traditional turtle dove sprint hunt- ing season will again be permissible [through] the restocking of the wild population, which is the only tangible contribution that Malta can make to the conservation of this species in the wild," the FKNK said. "The released amount can serve as a compensation measure for the turtle doves that may be taken from the wild in the Maltese islands." It said that since the birds are bred in captivity, they are all adequately marked with rings before release. The Ornis Committee, which is tasked with advising the government on hunting-related matters, last month rejected a proposal by the FKNK for a moratorium on the hunting of turtle dove to be lifted. Breeders must place closed rings on young Conservationists BirdLife yesterday also said that it had received two turtle doves that were shot since the start of this autumn hunting season. "On Wednesday we recovered a tur- tle dove which was witnessed being shot down by a member of the public who was walking with her children in Madliena. Less than 24 hours later, we found a shot turtle dove on FKNK- claimed land in Miżieb," BirdLife said. "Although the season is supposedly open only for quail, as widely antici- pated by BirdLife Malta, it continues to serve as a smokescreen for hunters to illegally shoot the red-listed Tur- tle Dove. With these two latest illegal hunting casualties, the total of known illegally shot protected birds for 2019 now stands at 26." Moreover, the NGO said that the only way to determine between tur- tle doves bred in captivity and those trapped from the wild illegally, was to amend the law to have breeders place closed rings on the young. "There is no doubt that a substan- tial amount of persons trap turtle doves from the wild with large cages. Although this is illegal, every year a number of these cages are found in various areas in Malta and Gozo," BirdLife said. It said that since the bird was also a "huntable species in autumn, the law does not punish anyone found in pos- session of live turtle doves". "Those trapping hundreds, if not thousands, of this vulnerable spe- cies are using this legal loophole and the only way to control this abuse is by changing the law accordingly. This would also distinguish between the genuine turtle dove breeders and the illegal trapper." BirdLife called on the FKNK and Kac- caturi San Umbertu to "understand that this would benefit their genuine members and that the only ones that would complain would be those trap- ping turtle doves illegally". NEWS Hunters release captive breeds 'but ignore ban' In the countryside, bird-watchers patrol the hunters KARL AZZOPARDI ILLEGAL hunting persists in Malta despite a moratorium on the killing of turtle dove now running for the second year, conservationists BirdLife say. Out in the countryside at 5am, wildlife conservation manager Nick Barbara and a colleague are patrolling the Ta' Santi area in Mgarr as part of their Springwatch patrol, where a number of teams per- form daily stakeouts and patrol popular hunting spots in a bid to deter illegal hunting activity. Since the start of the year, BirdLife has recorded 26 ille- gally shot birds, with fears that the real number could be sig- nificantly higher. With teams of three for each patrol, the Springwatch units are positioned around the is- land's countryside and hunting hotspots every day of the week during the season, equipped with cameras and binoculars. Barbara says illegalities are witnessed or reported practi- cally every day. "Despite hunt- ers only being legally permit- ted to catch quail during the spring hunting season, the fact that the season coincides with peak turtle dove migration means that turtle doves are likely to be killed anyway." The teams meet at a specific location in the early hours of the morning, where they plan and strategise their patrols. Barbara, one of the team lead- ers, points out the video cam- eras used to record illegalities, usually coming in the form of modified shotguns, illegal bird traps and other banned methods of hunting. Special telescopes are used to observe illegal activity from a distance. The first location his team visits is Ta' Santi, limits of Mgarr, a popular hunting area due to its dense vegetation, which makes it perfect for hunting quail. The team also visits the Ghajn Rihana valley, whose wide characteristics make it ideal for birds to shelter and nest. It is here that the team witnessed a turtle dove being shot out of the sky. The bird fell into private property, pre- venting the team from being able to retrieve it. A van was seen driving away from the scene shortly afterwards. While footage of the van was not recorded, the suspected hunter's registration number was recorded, and the location logged for future reference. Bidnija is the last location pa- trolled by the team. No illegal shooting here is noticed, how- ever an illegal turtle dove trap- ping case is seen on the other side of the valley, with two hunters waiting in a hide. At the end of their patrols, the teams return to the Bird- Life headquarters to log all the data collected. Other teams out in the field on the same day spotted one hunter using a modified shotgun which could be heard firing more than three shots in a single burst. They also spotted a marsh harrier with clipped wings, indicating that it had been shot. "We need a specialised wild- life crime unit within the po- lice force that can properly pa- trol the countryside in search of any illegal activity. If the country had a proper wildlife crime unit, illegalities would see a sharp decline, as they could take immediate action," Barbara says. Despite patrolling and re- porting illegal activity, BirdLife officials cannot enter private property or perform spot- checks, in the same way the police can, meaning hunters who spot them after shooting or catching protected birds can easily flee the scene if the police are not on site. Left: Nick Barbara starts of on the 5am patrol. "We need a specialised wildlife crime unit within the police force that can properly patrol the countryside in search of any illegal activity"