Support to hunting portfolio in Lebanon

Lebanon is considered a bottleneck at the Red Sea / Rift Valley crossing that migratory birds take on their path In Autumn, the fly from from the Turkish border, the Syrian capital, then heading towards the Bab al-Mandab strait in Djibouti, and vice versa in spring

During their journey, birds are exposed to many violations when they stop at their stations for rest or eating, the most important of which are: wild hunting, collision, high tension lines, agricultural pesticides and open dumpsites.

However, wild hunting, especially in Lebanon, remains one of the most important challenges facing the Lebanese state in terms of its proper organization and management. Through the application of Law 580 of February 25, 2004, wild hunting in general is being monitored and regulated throughout the entire Lebanese territory, as well as with the aim of keeping hunting as an equestrian hobby and nobility and in order to protect biodiversity.

The Project “Support to hunting portfolio in Lebanon” funded by GEF and CEPF between the years 2018-2019 aimed at the following:

• Organizing mechanisms for granting wild hunting licenses, by supporting the completion of wild hunting licenses in the Ministry of Environment (Ecosystem Department).
• Raising the level of knowledge of the internal security forces, guards of nature reserves, and forest frontiers, on how to apply
• Wild Hunting Law No. 580/2004, and training them to differentiate between the types of game that are permitted to be hunted
• And those prohibited from them, in accordance with the decisions issued by the Minister of Environment at the beginning of each hunting season.
• Raising the level of awareness of the Lebanese media on the issue of organizing wild hunting and applying the law.
  
  

Project Impacts:

• 20,699 presented and renewed licenses were entered into the database: 16,098 licenses for the year – 2017 and 4,892 licenses – for the year 2018 (Appendix No. 1).
• Raise the level of knowledge of the application of the Hunting Law and the distinction between the types of game permitted to be hunted and those forbidden. 205 persons participated in all types of training workshops through organizing 8 training workshops for all those who are in charge of applying and supervising the Wild Hunting Law in Lebanon No. 580/2004. 
• Including the issue of lead poisoning and the effect of shooting on the ear and the sense of hearing within the activities of the project, and placing it under restrictions circulated with the Lebanese public opinion, which is an important topic and was relatively new. 
• A media approach to distinguish the separation of authority between the entity issuing the wild hunting licenses (Ministry of Environment) and the entity responsible for overseeing the application of the hunting law (Ministry Interior), through a targeted media strategy. The Ministry of Environment suggested this strategy and was willing to support the application of the hunting law by the Lebanese media. 
• The mobilization of the media to cover the results of the project.
• Create an atmosphere of cooperation among the project components, such as a ministry
• Environment, Ministry of Interior, Municipalities, Ministry of Agriculture, Reserves Natural, community, association and environmental specialists and media professionals, including the public interest.