Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/382165
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2014 News 5 BIRDLIFE Malta has called on the public to support its annual migra- tion monitoring camp, urging mem- bers of the public to get involved by reporting the targeting of protected species, findings of injured birds and intimidation experienced in the countryside. Raptor Camp 2014, launched by BirdLife Malta yesterday, sees the local team being joined by volun- teers from seven countries. Camp Coordinator Christian Debono, said: "We are lucky to be joined by so many overseas volun- teers for our camps, and while we have a small team of dedicated lo- cal volunteers, we would like to see more Maltese people getting in- volved in protecting their wildlife." The camp will run until the end of September, with the teams focusing on monitoring migration and deter- ring the illegal shooting of protected species. The autumn hunting sea- son, which started this month and runs until 31st January 2015, allows the hunting of 41 species. However BirdLife says it is already receiving reports of protected species be- ing targeted, such as the European bee-eater, the barn swallow and the common kestrel. BirdLife is asking those who wit- ness the targeting of protected spe- cies to report this to the police on 119. BirdLife also reminded the public of its voluntary injured birds recovery service, which operates throughout the year, to rescue and rehabilitate injured wild birds. This service can be reached on 21347646 or 79255697. In addition, a new scheme has been set up by BirdLife which al- lows people to report incidents of intimidation or harassment in the countryside throughout the hunt- ing season. This new initiative, entitled Coun- tryside Matters, offers a confidential form to report personal experiences, in complete anonymity. "Locals should not feel unsafe on public land in their countryside because of a long hunting season. That's why we're offering the chance for people to voice their opinions. The countryside is theirs to enjoy," BirdLife Malta director Steve Mick- lewright said. OVER 500 submarine canyons have been mapped along the Malta Escarpment during a recent ocea- nographic expedition. The CUMECS-2 expedition, comprising an international team of scientists led by Dr Aaron Mi- callef from the University of Mal- ta, spent a week surveying a 250 km long underwater cliff offshore Malta and Sicily. The scientists used modern deep water acoustic technologies on board the OGS Explora to investigate the seaf loor at depths down to 4,000m and gen- erate a detailed map of the entire Malta Escarpment. Operations on the ship continued day and night and had at times to battle with bad weather. The most impressive feature mapped was a large submarine canyon that has an area equivalent to eight times that of the Maltese Islands. There are indications that this canyon seems to be active and hosts tens of small recent land- slides. Submarine canyons deserve further investigation and protec- tion because they host a variety of biological communities, act as conduits for nutrients and pol- lutants, and control the exchange of water between the shallow and deep ocean. The scientists also acquired a number of deep water geological samples that hold important infor- mation on past earthquake activ- ity and climatic changes through time. The next step of the project is to analyse these geological samples in the laboratory and compare the Malta Escarpment with underwa- ter cliffs mapped elsewhere around the world. This will be made pos- sible by a Fulbright Scholarship awarded by the US Embassy and the University of Malta. The CUMECS-2 expedition was funded by an EU FP 7 Marie Curie Career Integration Grant. The CUMECS-2 team consisted of scientists and students from the University of Malta, National Oceanography Centre (UK), Na- tional Institute of Water and At- mospheric Research (New Zea- land), University College Dublin (Ireland) and Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica (Italy). BirdLife Malta appeals to public for support with Raptor Camp Scientists map underwater cliff during oceanographic expedition