Malta Conservation Volunteers Face Increasing Threats and Attacks
25/04/2008 13:38:05April 2008. Intolerance towards BirdLife Malta and volunteers of the organisation’s Spring Watch Camp continues to be rife around the Maltese islands as one of the teams’ cars this morning was the target of vandals. The same team’s observation post was also covered with body pieces of at least two cats.
The car’s windscreen was smashed and two of the tyres were cut with a knife. When the team arrived on site at 6 a.m. there were other cars parked there but none of them were targeted except for the one belonging to BirdLife’s volunteers.
The car’s windscreen was smashed and two of the tyres were cut with a knife. When the team arrived on site at 6 a.m. there were other cars parked there but none of them were targeted except for the one belonging to BirdLife’s volunteers.
BirdLife Malta’s Conservation Manager Dr. André Raine said: ‘The Police came along and our team leader explained that two separate individuals had hurled abuse at the team earlier that morning. One of the individuals was observed getting out of a car with a gun and heading into the fields while the other person was in his hunting hide.’
In another incident a separate Spring Watch Team that went to Nadur tower in Malta found pieces of wood hidden in the grass with long nails sticking out of them last Friday. These ‘implements’ result in multiple punctures once cars drive over them with the evidence cleverly concealed, as the wood breaks away completely once the nail pierces the tyre.
Verbal Abuse
Furthermore, various teams have been subjected to verbal abuse at different locations since the beginning of the Spring Watch Camp. One team at Delimara was surrounded by aggressive individuals and ordered to leave the area, although the team was on public land. A team posted at Fomm ir-Rih was approached by a group of individuals who had previously been observed hiding a shotgun in the foliage. These individuals blocked the road with a pickup truck so that the Spring Watch Camp participants could not leave the area and demanded to see the video footage taken by the Team Leader. One of the Maltese volunteers on the team spoke to them to diffuse the situation and on informing them that the Police were on their way, these individuals left the area.
BirdLife Malta appealed to the government to take all necessary measures to handle the situation in the countryside.
For more information on BirdLife’s conservation efforts and to view regular updates on Spring Watch Camp, please visit www.birdlifemalta.org
In another incident a separate Spring Watch Team that went to Nadur tower in Malta found pieces of wood hidden in the grass with long nails sticking out of them last Friday. These ‘implements’ result in multiple punctures once cars drive over them with the evidence cleverly concealed, as the wood breaks away completely once the nail pierces the tyre.
Verbal Abuse
Furthermore, various teams have been subjected to verbal abuse at different locations since the beginning of the Spring Watch Camp. One team at Delimara was surrounded by aggressive individuals and ordered to leave the area, although the team was on public land. A team posted at Fomm ir-Rih was approached by a group of individuals who had previously been observed hiding a shotgun in the foliage. These individuals blocked the road with a pickup truck so that the Spring Watch Camp participants could not leave the area and demanded to see the video footage taken by the Team Leader. One of the Maltese volunteers on the team spoke to them to diffuse the situation and on informing them that the Police were on their way, these individuals left the area.
BirdLife Malta appealed to the government to take all necessary measures to handle the situation in the countryside.
For more information on BirdLife’s conservation efforts and to view regular updates on Spring Watch Camp, please visit www.birdlifemalta.org
Conservation Workers Cars Burned
February 2008. Some big, tough, brave men in Malta have decided that massacring small birds is not enough to make them feel good, so they have decided to prove their strength by burning parked cars. Three cars belonging to members of Birdlife Malta were burned on 17th February while their owners were carrying out ringing studies.
The RSPB - the UK BirdLife International partner of BirdLife Malta - has condemned the arson attack on three cars belonging to BirdLife Malta volunteers as a ‘reckless and needless act’ by petty-minded individuals.
February 2008. Some big, tough, brave men in Malta have decided that massacring small birds is not enough to make them feel good, so they have decided to prove their strength by burning parked cars. Three cars belonging to members of Birdlife Malta were burned on 17th February while their owners were carrying out ringing studies.
The RSPB - the UK BirdLife International partner of BirdLife Malta - has condemned the arson attack on three cars belonging to BirdLife Malta volunteers as a ‘reckless and needless act’ by petty-minded individuals.
Uprooting Trees
Alistair Gammell, the RSPB’s international director, said: ‘Unfortunately, this cowardly act of vandalism towards BirdLife Malta is not the first, as previous acts have seen the mindless uprooting of trees at a BirdLife Malta nature reserve.
‘Malta has been welcomed to the European Union and, even though some individuals may not like the Union’s bird protection laws, migrating birds belong to everyone in Europe and we know that BirdLife Malta will not bow to bullying tactics. We fully support the work of our partner that is working so valiantly to improve the environment for Malta and all of its inhabitants, 90 per cent of whom oppose illegal hunting. We hope that those guilty of criminal acts against our partner will be made to face justice.’
114,000 Name petition
Last year, the RSPB sent a 114,000 strong petition to the Maltese government from RSPB members condemning the illegal hunting of birds which continues to bring shame on Malta.
Two of the cars belong to BirdLife Malta council members while the third car, exhibiting a diplomatic plate, belongs to an American citizen who started volunteering with the organization a few months ago. The three volunteers were carrying out scientific ringing studies in Buskett.
The Police informed BirdLife that the incident was most probably a criminal act.
BirdLife said that ten days ago the organisation had sent a letter to the Commissioner of Police and in copy to the Office of the Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment George Pullicino informing them about messages with an increasingly threatening tone posted on websites. BirdLife had requested action from the part of the relevant authorities but, up until today, the organisation had received no communication from the Police.
Alistair Gammell, the RSPB’s international director, said: ‘Unfortunately, this cowardly act of vandalism towards BirdLife Malta is not the first, as previous acts have seen the mindless uprooting of trees at a BirdLife Malta nature reserve.
‘Malta has been welcomed to the European Union and, even though some individuals may not like the Union’s bird protection laws, migrating birds belong to everyone in Europe and we know that BirdLife Malta will not bow to bullying tactics. We fully support the work of our partner that is working so valiantly to improve the environment for Malta and all of its inhabitants, 90 per cent of whom oppose illegal hunting. We hope that those guilty of criminal acts against our partner will be made to face justice.’
114,000 Name petition
Last year, the RSPB sent a 114,000 strong petition to the Maltese government from RSPB members condemning the illegal hunting of birds which continues to bring shame on Malta.
Two of the cars belong to BirdLife Malta council members while the third car, exhibiting a diplomatic plate, belongs to an American citizen who started volunteering with the organization a few months ago. The three volunteers were carrying out scientific ringing studies in Buskett.
The Police informed BirdLife that the incident was most probably a criminal act.
BirdLife said that ten days ago the organisation had sent a letter to the Commissioner of Police and in copy to the Office of the Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment George Pullicino informing them about messages with an increasingly threatening tone posted on websites. BirdLife had requested action from the part of the relevant authorities but, up until today, the organisation had received no communication from the Police.
