The full SPNL 2024 Annual Report is available for download at this link.
By Lloyd Scott,
CABS Campaigns and Operations Officer
The eastern Mediterranean serves as a crucial migratory flyway for millions of birds traveling between continental Europe, western Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa each spring and autumn. Due to Lebanon’s central location along this route, the vast majority of these birds pass through its skies annually. More than 385 bird species have been recorded in the country, many of which are migratory and facing significant population declines or classified as species of international conservation concern. For instance, the entire global population of Lesser Spotted Eagles crosses Lebanon twice a year.
However, like other areas in the Mediterranean basin, this bi-annual migration has long been met with deeply rooted traditions of bird hunting and trapping. Unfortunately, estimates suggest that between two to three million migratory birds are killed annually in Lebanon—many by hunters who lack awareness of nature conservation and sustainable hunting laws. Targeted species include birds of prey, storks, pelicans, nightjars, swallows, orioles, bee-eaters, and countless songbirds. In addition to sport hunting and personal consumption, large-scale industrial trapping using giant nets and limesticks remains a severe issue. Despite an official ban, frozen songbirds such as blackcaps and whitethroats are still openly sold in supermarkets and restaurants. Other species, including shrikes, redstarts, thrushes, and flycatchers, also fall victim to this practice. Goldfinches, while not killed, are captured and sold as cage birds in a booming market.
The most concentrated bird trapping occurs in Baalbek in the northern Bekaa Valley and coastal villages in the south, where poachers use indiscriminate methods to trap and sell birds.
Launching Bird Protection Camps in Lebanon
The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), an organization specializing in coordinating bird protection efforts across Europe, first became aware of Lebanon’s illegal hunting crisis in 2013. A growing number of disturbing images on social media showed poachers proudly posing with dozens of freshly killed protected birds. In 2017, CABS partnered with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) to launch the first official bird protection camp in the country. This initiative coincided with the introduction of Hunting Law 580, the first enforceable hunting regulation in decades.
During peak migration periods, international bird experts, wildlife crime specialists, Lebanese conservationists, and sustainable hunters join forces to conduct anti-poaching patrols. These teams monitor key migratory corridors in mountain regions, where birds are funneled into so-called “bottlenecks”, making them particularly vulnerable to mass killings.
While many birds are shot for food, rarer species—such as vultures and eagles—are often captured alive and sold illegally. Some are even stuffed by taxidermists and sold in shops. In 2021, following a tip-off, CABS teams rescued three Egyptian Vultures from a private collection in southern Lebanon. One was successfully rehabilitated and released, while the others were transferred to a captive breeding program at Prague Zoo to help sustain their global population.
Beyond direct enforcement, the teams work to identify and shut down illegal trapping sites in the Bekaa Valley and coastal areas. Violations are meticulously documented and reported to Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) for legal action. Education also plays a vital role in shifting public perceptions. SPNL and the Middle Eastern Sustainable Hunting Centre (MESHC) regularly organize training seminars and community events for police officers, hunters, and local groups to promote responsible hunting and biodiversity conservation.
Combating the Illegal Killing of Birds of Prey
A key focus of these bird protection camps is preventing the illegal shooting of birds of prey, as these species reproduce slowly and are highly vulnerable to population collapse.
During early operations, patrols in Keserwan, Mount Lebanon, uncovered numerous “plucking posts” strewn with the remains
