S.L. 549.42 Art. 7Banned methods.

(1) Without prejudice to the provisions of regulations 8

and 9, no person shall hunt or attempt to hunt, take or attempt to take any bird by making use or be in possession of any of the following methods:

(a) snares, limes including birdlime, poisonous or stupefying bait, hooks or any similar substances or methods;

(b) any electrocuting devices;

(c) any artificial light sources, mirrors, devices for illuminating targets or any night vision devices comprising an electronic image magnifier or image converter;

(d) any gas, or any electric or electronic device, especially the use of pre-recorded bird calls;

(e) nets, including those known as ranja, mist-nets, and any type of vertical net;

(f) any kind of cage-trap, whether with a net or not;

(g) decoy live birds which are blind or mutilated;

(h) decoy live birds held by any means except those held by cotton string and swivel;

(i) decoys of protected birds;

(j) explosives; and

(k) semi-automatic or automatic weapons with a magazine capable of holding more than two rounds of ammunition: Provided that the prohibition in sub-regulation (1) shall be without prejudice to the provisions of regulation 23(2)(f): Provided further that the prohibition in paragraph (d) referring to electric or electronic devices shall not apply to battery-operated artificial bird decoys including motorised rotating decoys, flapping decoys and those that mimic bird movement, including flight: Provided further that such artificial bird decoys shall not include or incorporate within or with them any pre-recorded bird calls or any other method prohibited under this regulation.

(2) No person shall sell, offer for sale, exhibit for sale or keep any device the use of which, is prohibited by sub-regulation (1):

Provided that, subject to the other provisions of these regulations and subject also to the provisions of any law for the time being in force in Malta, in as far as any device referred to in sub-regulation (1) may be used for purposes other than those to which these regulations refer, the same, offering for sale, exhibition for sale, or keeping of any such device shall not be prohibited solely on the basis of this regulation.