A 15-month-long investigation exposed the cracks in international conservation efforts around the hunting of Maltese falcons and other species in Egypt. Despite millions of euros flowing from European Union conservation funds to protect these species, they are routinely shot by European nationals in Egyptian wetlands, deserts, and oases, where laws are looser and less enforced. Published in April 2025, the investigation spotlighted holes in enforcement and coordination of conservation policy between Europe and North Africa and the urgent need for international cooperation to uphold global conservation commitments.
Grounded in field reporting, interviews with local guides and hunters, analysis of social media and public records of raids and arrests, it exposed a shadow hunting tourism industry that operates with few constraints, revealing the scale and brazenness of illegal and unethical bird hunting operations, and the systems enabling them.
Images from social media showed hunters posing with shot Eurasian spoonbills, northern lapwings, greater flamingos and various birds of prey – some of them EU-protected species. Hunting in Egypt was often facilitated by tour companies that helped bypass regulations, while a deeply rooted hunting culture in Malta pushed participants to seek unrestricted shooting grounds abroad.
The investigation also revealed local outrage in Egypt over the expansion of hunting tourism into ecologically sensitive regions like the New Valley, where rare species and oasis ecosystems were at risk. Conservation groups warned that lax oversight allowed Egypt to become a hunting haven at odds with international agreements like the EU Birds Directive and the Convention on Migratory Species. “This is a catastrophe,” said Khaled al-Nubi, executive director of Nature Conservation Egypt. “The oases [in the New Valley] are among the most delicate ecosystems on the planet — a haven in the vast desert for migratory and resident birds.”
Impact
On the heels of the investigation’s publication, Egypt’s Ministry of Environment issued a ban for hunting birds in two key regions: the New Valley and Lake Nasser. This real-world impact demonstrates the power of independent journalism in informing policy and conservation outcomes. By documenting the cross-border dynamics of wildlife crime, Mongabay and its partners helped reveal a loophole in conservation policy that was being actively exploited. In a world where migratory species often depend on international protections, independent journalism plays a critical role in closing the gaps that threaten biodiversity and giving a voice to conservationists on the ground.
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Banner image: Illustration by The New Arab.