Bird species conservation efforts across Europe have been hampered by the Maltese hunting of protected species, with efforts in Finland, Sweden, Tunisia, Hungary, Czech Republic and Italy being the most affected by illegal hunting in Malta.

A report on bird ring recoveries issued by BirdLife Malta yesterday reveals the devastating toll that the Maltese hunters and trappers who choose to break hunting and trapping regulations are wreaking on European conservation efforts in countries where spring hunting, as a breeding season, and year-round trapping are outlawed.

The report is based on 1,188 individual ring recoveries representing 120 species. The recoveries have been used to analyse the international importance of Malta’s position along one of the main European-African bird migration routes.

The study reveals that birds from a minimum of 35 countries have been killed in Malta.

Birds from Finland, Sweden, Tunisia, Italy and Germany are the most commonly killed in Malta, the majority of them protected species and a significant proportion of which have also been given special conservation designation in the EU’s Birds Directive.

Commenting on the study yesterday, BirdLife Malta conservation manager Dr Andre Raine said: “Any conservation rewards gained from hunting and trapping restrictions in other European countries are presently serving the interests of Maltese hunters and trappers.”

“Maltese hunters get to shoot what their counterparts in Europe are obliged to protect during the spring. Furthermore, illegal hunting in Malta has a direct impact on the conservation efforts of countries throughout Europe and Africa,” said Dr Raine.

BirdLife pointed out that the data presented on turtledoves and quails, the two species Malta has so far allowed to be hunted in spring, also showed that those passing through Malta came from a small number of countries and not from the species’ entire breeding range, as has been argued by the government in its justification for allowing spring hunting of the species.

According to the ring recovery analysis, half the ring recoveries of turtledoves showed that the birds had come from Italy, while another quarter was from the Czech Republic. 94.4 per cent of common quail ring recoveries, meanwhile, were also from birds coming from Italy.

As such, BirdLife observed, spring hunting and trapping would have a serious impact on turtledove and quail populations in Italy and the Czech Republic. The NGO yesterday reiterated that both turtledove and the common quail were currently classified as having a so-called ‘Unfavourable Conservation Status’ in Europe and that as such a derogation from the Birds Directive could not be applied in respect of the species.

The study also demonstrates that the practice of trapping is so prolific across the islands that only a mere handful of the common finch species breed regularly on the islands, although there is an abundance of breeding elsewhere in the Mediterranean.

73.2 per cent of all finch recoveries in Malta were found to have come from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia.

Dr Raine added: “The recent step taken by the government to end spring hunting earlier this year is a positive development. But this should be further supported by outlawing hunting and trapping in spring, starting from next year onwards.

“Furthermore, increased assistance for over-stretched law enforcement officers and the application of significant penalties, in court and not just on paper, for those who break the law are essential.”

In total, over 170 species regularly use Malta during migration.

Birds from a total of 48 countries – 36 European and 12 African – were found to pass over Malta during the spring and autumn migrations. Ring recoveries showed that a total of 75 species, representing 35 countries, had been killed in Malta.

The five most commonly recorded bird species from ring recoveries are, in order, the Barn Swallow, Sand Martin, Common Chiffchaff, Linnet, and the Osprey.

The five most common species recorded and ringed overseas and shot in Malta are the Osprey, Common Kestrel, the Turtledove, Night Heron and the Caspian Tern.