Staging point

The illegal slaughter of migrating birds over Malta has brought renewed demands for tougher action against hunters, writes Paul Eccleston in the UK Telegraph:

The George Cross island is an important staging point for birds as they make their long migratory flights from Europe across the Mediterranean and into north Africa. Thousands of birds, many of them exhausted by lengthy flights, fall prey to the hunters who lie in wait. Although the hunting of some birds is permitted - such as Turtle dove and Quail - may other species fall victim to the guns.
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Over the past two weeks, birdwatchers from all over Europe have made their way to the island to assess the population of migrating birds and to witness and record the slaughter for themselves. The two-week programme, known as the 'Raptor Camp', was organised by BirdLife Malta - the RSPB's partner in the Maltese islands.

Dr Andre Raine, BirdLife Malta's conservation manager, said: "Many observers have commented this is the worst season in recent years." The RSPB's Grahame Madge, who attended the Raptor Camp, said: "To anyone who hasn't seen it for themselves, the scale of the slaughter beggars belief. "A rogue element of the island's 12,000 hunters will blast at anything that flies, and casualties from the two weeks included a black stork, herons, bee-eaters and many birds of prey.

"Lying on a major migration route across the Mediterranean, birds pass over the islands in extremely large numbers. On good days for migration, when several hundred birds of prey pass through, the hunters are stirred into a frenzy - desperate to shoot as many as possible, even within protected areas...

Raptor camp diary - The Guardian