Overwhelming majority of hunters report zero catches in 2023

More than 7,000 licensed hunters did not report any catches during the entire spring hunting season, according to the latest Game Reporting Data published by the government.

The report lists the species shot and captured based on data presented by hunters, with little to no enforcement, as environmental organisations have repeatedly shown.

Hunters must report each bird shot by sending an SMS before leaving the location, according to rules.

The government’s report reveals that out of 9,884 licensed hunters for the 2023 spring season, only 542, or 5.48%, actually sent an SMS.

The report includes details about live-capturing data for song thrushes and golden plovers, as well as separate spring hunting derogation reports, which, according to Minister Clint Camilleri, can be found on the official derogation website.

Yet the links provided by the Gozo Ministry lead to a dead end, displaying a message that reads, “The page you are looking for was not found. Please try again.”

Collectively, close to 10,000 hunters reported shooting 28 ducks, 2,000 turtle doves, and 923 quails.

This implies that 7,000 of those who paid for licences did not shoot a single bird, while the remaining hunters shot only one bird during the entire season from 10 April to 30 April.

Outside the spring season, hunters reported catching just 88 golden plovers, while plover trappers reported capturing their full quota of 700 birds.

The most commonly reported birds shot were starlings (2,828) and song thrushes (2,366). These were reported by 9,884 hunters who could hunt from September until the end of January.

Starlings and song thrushes primarily migrate in October and November, yet the hunting season remains open until the end of January.

The figures in the latest report show a trend similar to previous ones. The official report from the government’s Wild Birds Regulation Unit, which regulates hunting practices, continues to indicate widespread lawlessness.

Malta has been in conflict with the EU for years over the continuation of a spring hunting season.

The European Court of Justice has repeatedly stated that Malta’s spring hunting is unjustified, yet the government continues to use derogations to appease the hunting lobby and secure votes.