10 illegal bird callers removed from countryside

A total of 10 illegal bird callers were this afternoon removed from the vicinity of Mtaħleb, Lippija, Mosta, Magħtab, Siġġiewi and Dingli by members of the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and the Administrative Law Enforcement (ALE). Bird callers are static installations which consist of an electronic playback device, loudspeakers, and a digital timer which activates the devices during the night. To protect them from being found and confiscated, hunters lock the devices in metal boxes or embed them in concrete or rubble walls, CABS said. It said that with the help of pickaxes and crowbars, all installations were removed or destroyed. CABS said its teams mapped about 40 illegal bird callers so far and similar operations would be conducted over the coming days. The organisation also pointed out that the fact that it was confirming that illegal shooting of protected species was going down did not mean that it supported a legal spring hunting season for turtle doves. “The opposite is the case. Less poaching is good for harriers, falcons, eagles and other protected birds but it has nothing to do with the fact that hunting of turtle doves – no matter if in spring or autumn –...