Postcards from Malta:birds, bullets and the fight for conservation

Lawrie Phipps

With thanks to the following

Andrew Morgan, Steve Millar, Bob Hook, Joe Cochran, Bob Elliot, Ian Thomson, Nik Barbara, Nimrod Mifsud,

Andre Raine, Geoff Saliba, Ole Friis Larsen, Har Pluijmakers, Marianne Leenders, Adam Denyer, Lizzie Bruce,

Genevieve Bridgeman, Robin Potts, Terry Williams, Andrea Hudspeth, Fiona Burrows, Rupert Masfield and all of

the staff and volunteers from Spring Watch and Raptor Camp

75 km to Sicily

316 km to Africa

316 km2

Population c. 440,000Proud heritage with own languageMalta joined EU in 2004

Three main migration routes:

Malta sits on theCentral

European-Africa Migration Flyway

A total of 48 countries were found to be connected to Malta by ring recoveries

36 European countries 12 African countries

From: Raine A (2007) The international impact of hunting and trapping in the Maltese islands

Birdwatching CampsSpring WatchRaptorcamp

Two watches every day – DAWN and DUSK

• Teams of 3-5 volunteers• Assigned to one of 50+ watch

points• Some sites require our

security team• Drive for up to 30 minutes

A visual deterrentObserve and Record migratory birdsObserve and Record illegal activitiesPublic relations exercise

Working closely with local law enforcement

According to the FKNK*

• 12,000 hunters

• 4000 trappers

• 160 sqkm land allowable for hunting and trapping• 100 hunters / trappers per square

kilometre

*http://www.huntinginmalta.org.mt/index.pl/traditional_hunting_practices

Natalino FenechFatal Flight: Maltese Obsession with Killing Birds

• 3 million finches • > half a million thrushes • > half a million swallows • 80,000 golden orioles • 18,000 shearwaters • 50,000 birds of prey

Written in the 1980’s

But then Malta joined the EU….

DEROGATIONS

Used by the government to violate EU Laws (Birds Directive)

Malta applies two derogations (exemptions) to EU conservation legislation

Allowing Maltese hunters to:1. kill birds during the spring migration 2. trap protected bird species

In June 2012 the European Commission pressed Malta to put an end to the derogation that allowed the trapping of the threatened Song Thrush in 2011.

However, in the autumn of 2012, the trapping of the Song Thrush was allowed and in 2013 the Golden Plover was added.

Quail and turtle dove are both hunted legally, as are 41 other species including water rail, golden plover, ruff, woodcock, song thrush…

The Birdlife monitors are not universally welcomed

What are we looking for in the field?

Mizieb Managed by the FKNK for shooting and conversation

More than 200 corpses

• Avocet

• Hoopoe

• Great Skua

• Turtle Dove

• Turtle Dove

• Corn Bunting

• Lesser Kestrel

• European Storm Petrel

• Little Tern

• Spotted Crake

• Harrier (probable Pallid)

• Marsh Harrier

• Ringtail Harrier - Probable Montague's

• Eleonora's Falcon

• White-winged Black Tern

• Little Bittern

• Sandwich Tern

• Spanish Sparrow

• Cuckoo

• Kingfisher

• Velvet Scoter

• Dotterel

• Yellow-legged Gull

• Northern Shoveller

• Kestrel

• Quail

• Black Tern

• Kittiwake

• Rock Thrush

• Blackbird

• Blackbird

• Red-footed Falcon

• Caspian Tern

• Marsh Harrier

• Bee-eater

• Bee-eater

• Spanish Sparrow

• Honey Buzzard

• Whinchat

24 hours in Malta: Personal Experience

It started with breakfast, 3 October 2012

At around this time…

All night watch on the Flamingo

04:00 Start to watch the quarry

Geoff Saliba, President of Birdlife Malta with Lawrie On Ilkly moor

But Lawrie, where are all the Hen Harriers?

Write to your MEP about the issue – more info at

http://www.birdlifemalta.org/

Also keep on eye on BAWC page on FB and the website for future campaign activities

Thanks for allowing me to come and talk@lawrie