A hunter has been banned from hunting for life after admitting to shooting and killing a highly protected Black Stork near Buskett.Dean Cauchi was also fined €5,000 and handed a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty in court on Saturday.The Black Stork was shot down on 14th September, with footage shared by BirdLife Malta showing two of the birds flying over the area before one was hit.Police initially failed to locate the bird or shooter but later received information about where the dead bird could be found.Investigators subsequently searched a field belonging to Cauchi and examined nearby CCTV footage.The footage showed four people carrying firearms and a dead bird, with investigators identifying Cauchi as the shooter. He did not cooperate during police questioning but pleaded guilty when arraigned on Saturday.BirdLife Malta welcomed the Environmental Protection Unit’s investigation and the resulting sentence, while arguing that people convicted of killing highly protected birds should not be allowed to regain a hunting licence.The Black Stork is a rare visitor to Malta and is strictly protected under Maltese and EU law.•