Dear Friends and Supporters,

As the spring continues - our Bird Protection Camps are already in their second half. So far, this spring is the quietest we have experienced in the Mediterranean over the last 20 years. The tendency for poaching to diminish in response to our presence at the key hotpot areas is more apparent than ever!

Malta: All quiet on the main island, yet multiple incidents on Gozo.

Last weekend we finished our big Bird Protection Camp on Malta. On the main island it was quieter than ever. There were hardly any kills of protected species and only two active trapping nets were found - one trapper was arrested. A hunter was filmed shooting a Turtle Dove and images of the incident picked up by national media. On Malta's small neighbouring island of Gozo, a CABS team conducted field investigations across the small island: Together with the police and the nature conservation authority WBRU we closed 19 illegal trapping sites: 7 cage traps for Turtle Doves, 1 cage trap for Starlings, 7 small cages for finches and 3 quail nets. 10 Turtle Doves, 8 Starlings, 2 Quails, 1 Greenfinch and 1 Hawfinch were released.

Cyprus: €8,000 fine for a bird trapper

There are also fewer poachers on Cyprus than last year. The reasons are a combination of our presence and the recent hefty punishments. On Saturday, a man with 87 limesticks was caught by us and now has to pay a whopping €8,000 penalty. Due to the intensive bird migration, many birds had been caught on his sticky traps. Thankfully, 28 of them - especially warblers, Black Redstart and a Wryneck - could be immediately released. Since mid-March we have so far found 141 limesticks and 6 nets in Cyprus. For comparison: During the spring operation of 2017 there were still 1,800 limesticks and 19 nets across the 6 week operation!

Action begins in Southern Italy

Over the next few days our operations will start in Southern Italy: We will be in action until the middle of May on the islands of Ponza (Lazien) and Ischia (Campania), on the Sorrento peninsula (also Campania) and on the Strait of Messina (Calabria). The islands are mainly concerned with the fight against snap traps used to target Whinchat, Common Redstart and Wheatear, in Sorrento we will be monitoring the illegal spring hunt on Quail and Turtle Dove and in Messina for the protection of the flyway for Honey Buzzards.

Best Wishes
Alexander Heyd

--
Alexander Heyd
(Geschäftsführer/CEO)

Komitee gegen den Vogelmord e.V.
Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS)
Bundesgeschäftsstelle
An der Ziegelei 8, 53127 Bonn, Germany

Tel.: +49 228 66 55 21
Fax : +49 228 66 52 80
Email: komitee@komitee.de

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