BirdLife Malta have stated that since the opening of the autumn hunting season, on 1 September, it has found at least 19 protected birds that have been shot.
The environmental NGO said on its Facebook page that "while some politicians defend hunting as a 'tradition', they ignore the real harm being done to nature."
The local eNGO published a video in which it mentioned every hit protected bird its members recovered, as well as the dates they were found.
Among the injured protected birds, as confirmed by veterinarians, were a Cattle Egret on 5 September, a Bee-eater on 11 September, a Honey-buzzard on 13 September, a Hoopoe on 15 September, an Eurasian Dotterel and a Collared Dove on 17 September, a Short-eared Owl on 19 September, a Common Kestrel on 20 September, another Honey-buzzard on 24 September, a Lesser Kestrel on 28 September, another Common Kestrel and a Yellow-legged Gull on 30 September, followed by a Common Kestrel on 1 October, two more Common Kestrels, a Pallid Swift, and a Turtle-dove all on the following day, a third Honey-buzzard on 3 October, and a sixth and seventh Common Kestrel on 4 October.
These injured birds were found in regions all over Malta and Gozo. None of these injured birds are amongst the listed 40 species that hunters are allowed to shoot at during this hunting season.
BirdLife Malta noted that with a hurt Common Kestrel found approximately everyday as a result of these "environmental crimes" since the start of October, it should come as no surprise that these birds are struggling to breed in the Maltese islands.
The eNGO also observed that the window for hunters to permissibly shoot at turtle-doves - a vulnerable species - closed with the month of September, despite its members finding an injured turtle-dove on 2 October as the autumn hunting season flourished on.
"These are only the birds that a few of us managed to recover, but the true scale of illegal hunting is far greater," BirdLife Malta said.
The popular eNGO harshly condemned every one of these findings, declaring that "these are not isolated incidents or 'mistakes.' These are environmental crimes carried out under the excuse of 'tradition' and 'hobbies'."
"These are environmental crimes that should be condemned, not defended or condoned," the eNGO stated.
Criticising government politicians who have defended hunters and hunting lobby groups, BirdLife Malta concluded that "protecting nature and enforcing the law are duties and responsibilities of all those who truly care about the common good."
The autumn hunting season is five months long. It began at the beginning of this September and will end on 31 January.
BirdLife Malta published this social media reel less than a week removed since the PN unsuccessfully proposed making the environment a constitutional right.