Migrants on my mind (3): guest blog from Grahame Madge

Tonight, my colleague, Grahame Madge, has written a blog about the massacre on Malta informed, in part, by his own personal experiences.  

“Absolutely insane!” That was the reaction from Chris Packham earlier today when I spoke to him after he saw Maltese hunters last night trying to stalk and shoot a group of Montagu’s harriers by torchlight, as the birds were trying to roost.

In two words, he’s summed up the situation perfectly. It does indeed seem insane to try to shoot as many birds from the skies as possible. Malta is one of the Mediterranean’s key bird migration hotspots as each spring millions of birds pour into Europe from Africa. Storks, herons, flamingoes, birds of prey, spoonbills, bee-eaters, stilts, rollers and even songbirds are all considered ‘fair game’ by many of the islands’ hunters.

A sign of the times: Hunters leave a threatening reminder to BirdLife Malta 

The RSPB’s Vice President is visiting the islands in a private capacity, drawing international attention to the illegal killing of birds, which brings shame on a wonderful group of islands and prompts outrage from citizens across Europe.

“They tried to shoot a roller yesterday,” he said disbelievingly, “but, fortunately that one got away.” I’m familiar with Chris, as a confident Springwatch presenter, enthusing about wildlife, but as we spoke I could hear in his voice that witnessing several days of hunters slaughtering birds was beginning to take its toll. Read more about Chris Packham’s Malta visit here. 

Malta can have that affect on the toughest of people. I visited the islands several years ago but my memories are still vivid.  They say that smells transport you back to a place, and I can still remember the stench of death in my nostrils after looking at corpse after corpse of protected species, gunned down as they tried to fly over this Mediterranean idyll.  I was part of a regular contingent of RSPB staff who visit the islands helping our partner – BirdLife Malta – build their capacity to help fight the threat that illegal hunting poses to Europe’s migratory birds. We currently have staff taking their annual leave on the islands to help our partner.

A fatally-wounded honey buzzard, illegally shot by hunters. Photo: Grahame Madge 

I have worked for the RSPB for almost two decades, and in that time the issue of Maltese hunting has always been in my work programme, and, I’m keen that it’s resolved before I retire.

In 2004, our hopes were lifted when Malta joined the European Union. At last, thanks to strong and internationally-revered bird-protection laws, there was a way of drawing the illegal killing to a close. However, 10 years later, the issue is still present as the islands’ hunters wield their political clout to lobby the Maltese Government to amend laws, trying to over-rule their international obligations. What the islands’ hunters can’t achieve through amending legislation, they will achieve through other means: bullying; intimidation and law-breaking, principally.

Sometimes global problems seem intractable, and finding a solution to illegal bird killing across the Mediterranean is elusive. However, there are powerful allies. In polls, the vast majority of Maltese residents are also against illegal hunting and they are becoming more vocal. Staggeringly, around one in 10 of Maltese residents have signed a petition calling for a referendum where they will be able to vote to end spring hunting once and for all. Malta has pleaded with the European Union for a derogation from European law to allow the spring hunting of turtle dove. The cover of spring hunting provides a smokescreen for hunters to target other protected bird species, such as cuckoo and birds of prey. Our hard-working partner is striving to ensure the referendum takes place. Find out more about their work here. 

Volunteers with BirdLife Malta mount a dawn patrol, monitoring the activities of hunters. Photo: Grahame Madge 

The turtle dove is one of Europe’s fastest declining birds and although the reasons for its haemorrhaging population are not yet fully understood, it’s thought to be related to changing land use across parts its European breeding range. The hunters claim a right to shoot turtle doves because they’re not fully responsible for the decline, however, in a further act of insanity, they don’t recognise that taking thousands of birds from an already rapidly-declining population has anything to do with them.

The issue of declining migratory birds is one of the greatest crises facing conservationists. There are many reasons for their decline, but hunting declining or protected species is a major threat. Our Birds Without Borders project, which has been supported by Chris Packham, is looking to identify the threats facing migratory birds where they nest, where they migrate through and where they spend the winter. Find out more about the Birds Without Borders project here.