In September I was privileged to be able to go out to Birdlife Malta’s Raptorcamp to support their monitoring of illegal hunting. From my perspective the trip was possible thanks in part to funding from the League Against Cruel Sports and the support of my wife, Heather. This is in part a personal account, with many thanks to all the people I met and went out monitoring with.

1. Seven Days on Malta Lawriephipps Part funded by the:

2. European Flyways

6. Birds from 48 countries (36 in Europe, 12 in Africa) have been recorded migrating over Malta

7. Dead and injured Birds About the Data: Figures refer only to A. Birds presented to Birdlife Malta, and B. Photographic evidence from known and credible sources

8. Dead and injured Birds In 2008 143 birds were recorded in flight with clearly visible gunshot wounds

9. Honey Buzzard 06:10, Thursday, 23rd September 2010 Nr Gebel Cantar

10. Small Wader 06:20, Friday, 24th September 2010 MisrahGharil-Kbir

11. Harriers 09:00, Saturday, 25th September 2010 Juvenile Marsh Harrier Juvenile Montague's Harrier

12. Mizieb Bird Sanctuary 2009 Accidental discovery of a ‘bird cemetery’ Over 200 illegally shot birds found

13. Mizieb Bird Sanctuary 2010 80 birds found in a much shorter time and a small area Police turn up and stop the search following an alleged assault

14. Mizieb Bird Sanctuary

15. Mizieb Bird Sanctuary

16. FederazzjoniKaaturiNassabaKonservazzjonisti(Federation for Hunting and Conservation) Represents 16000 Hunters 4000 Trappers 12000 Shooters Is a member of: Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU (FACE) UK Members of FACE include: Countryside Alliance British Association for Shooting and Conservation

17. Hunting, including trapping (or the catching of wild birds by means of traditional clap-nets for the purpose of keeping the any caught birds alive in captivity), is allowed on about 160 Sq. Km. Registered Shooters: 12,000 Registered Trappers: 4,000 Using the FKNK Figures Half of Malta is huntable and is Occupied by around 75 shooters per SqKM 25 Trappers per SqKM

20. Some FKNK statements The spoonbill “One specimen was recorded locally in March 2008. According to BirdLife (Malta), a bird of this species occurs on Malta once every few years. The spoonbill is highly migratory and its European population counts over 10,000 individuals. The bird occurring here is called a “straggler” in ornithological terms, which means a bird that has strayed from the main group. This normally means that such a bird is genetically flawed, and its elimination is usually considered beneficial to the species as a whole.”

21. Some FKNK statements On raptors, Birds of Prey Following the depletion of populations of birds of prey in the 1970s through the indiscriminate use of pesticides, the European populations of these birds have now reached epidemic proportions through over-protection, and this is creating a huge backlash against them from all the game bird and pigeon-breeders of Europe. For every bird that passes over Malta, at least 10,000 migrate through other places. It is about time that the anti-hunting fanatics realize this fact and stop trying to depict Malta as the black spot of Europe in this regard.