EWAN FLYNN PHOTOGRAPHY
'Avian Assassination'
Birds using the Mediterranean/Black Sea Flyway, commonly use the archipelago of Malta as a stop-over site to rest and replenish themselves before migrating to either their breeding grounds of Europe, or wintering grounds of Africa.
Unfortunately, illegal hunting is a major and current issue across the Mediterranean with an estimated 11-36 million migratory birds being killed/captured every year. This effect is present through a documented decline in long-distance migrants using the African-Eurasian Flyway of around 40% over the last 30 years and 10% of these species listed as globally threatened or near threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Birdlife Malta, one of Malta's primary NGO's run a 3-week ‘Raptor Camp’ in aid to protect Birds of Prey amongst other migratory species from illegal persecution. In 2020, Ewan joined Birdlife as a volunteer, allowing him to experience this issue first hand. With broad access granted by Birdlife, and connections made with a traditional Maltese hunter prior to his arrival, he documented this issue through a wide range of photographic techniques and perspectives, which were then presented as an article, helping to express his experience of Malta (full article can be read below).
