Il-Bżar Jailed: Lifelong Hunting Ban Finally Enforced

In the heart of Malta’s northwest, where the golden sands of Għadira meet the azure Mediterranean, a tale of poaching and defiance unfolds. A hunter, known locally as ‘Il-Bżar’ (the wild boar), has been sentenced to jail once again for shooting protected birds, despite a lifelong hunting ban hanging over his head like a dark cloud.

A History of Defiance: Il-Bżar’s Reign of Illegality

This is not the first time Il-Bżar has found himself on the wrong side of the law. His rap sheet stretches back decades, a mix hunting offenses that have earned him a reputation as one of Malta’s most notorious poachers. From shooting protected species like the Marsh Harrier and the White-headed Duck, to hunting out of season and using illegal traps, Il-Bżar’s disregard for wildlife conservation laws has been nothing short of brazen.

In 2015, after a particularly egregious offense involving the slaughter of a flock of protected shearwaters on Comino, the courts finally lost patience. They imposed a lifelong hunting ban, a sentence that should have sounded the death knell for Il-Bżar’s illicit activities. Yet, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, he continued to flout the law, his hunting exploits becoming the stuff of local legend.

Caught Red-Handed: The Final Straw

It was on a crisp February morning this year that Il-Bżar’s luck ran out. Armed with an illegal shotgun and hidden in the dense vegetation near Għadira’s salt pans, he opened fire on a flock of migrating waders. Among his targets were the protected Black-tailed Godwit and the Curlew Sandpiper, both species that travel thousands of miles to winter in Malta’s warm waters.

This time, however, Il-Bżar’s actions did not go unnoticed. A group of birdwatchers, drawn to the area by the promise of rare migratory visitors, heard the shots and raised the alarm. When the police arrived, they found Il-Bżar still in possession of the gun, the smell of gunpowder fresh in the air. The evidence was irrefutable, and this time, even Il-Bżar’s silver tongue could not talk his way out of trouble.

Justice Served: A Lifelong Ban Enforced

Last week, after a trial that gripped Malta’s hunting and conservation communities, Il-Bżar was finally brought to book. The court sentenced him to 18 months in jail, a punishment that, for the first time, seemed to fit the crime. The lifelong hunting ban was also upheld, ensuring that Il-Bżar will never again raise a gun against Malta’s precious wildlife.

Yet, as the gavel fell, questions remained. How could one man defy the law so brazenly for so long? And what does his sentence mean for the future of Malta’s hunting culture, a tradition that, for many, is intertwined with the island’s very identity?

For Malta’s conservationists, Il-Bżar’s sentence sends a clear message. “This is a victory for common sense and the rule of law,” said Mark Sultana, Director of BirdLife Malta. “Il-Bżar’s actions were not those of a responsible hunter, but of a criminal. Today, justice has been served.”

But for Malta’s hunters, the verdict raises more complex issues. “We must strive to protect our hunting heritage,” said one hunter, who wished to remain anonymous. “But we must also acknowledge that there are those among us who bring our traditions into disrepute. Il-Bżar is not a hunter; he is a poacher, and he has no place in our community.”

As Il-Bżar begins his sentence, the debate over Malta’s hunting culture continues to rage. But one thing is clear: the days of Il-Bżar, the wild boar of Għadira, are over. And for Malta’s precious wildlife, that can only be a good thing.