Under the BioConnect project, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) organized a full-day workshop with the fishermen of Mansouri, located along Lebanon’s southern coast. The event was held on Saturday, 4 October 2025, at SPNL’s Kayfoun Center (Head Office) and brought together 21 local fishermen.
The workshop was facilitated by marine experts from the American University of Beirut (AUB) — Dr. Michael Barich and Dr. Nancy Sayyar — who led discussions and hands-on sessions focusing on the current status of the Mansouri coast, a SWOT analysis of local fishing practices, and the identification of needs, challenges, and sustainable tools for the fishing community.
The participants also explored the distinction between legal and illegal fishing practices, emphasizing the importance of marine conservation, biodiversity protection, and responsible livelihoods.
A similar workshop was previously organized for the Qoleileh fishermen on Saturday, 14 September 2025, engaging 23 participants. The two villages — Mansouri and Qoleileh — are adjoining coastal communities that share common challenges related to habitat preservation, livelihood sustainability, and resource management. Both events revealed comparable situations regarding coastal ecosystem pressures and the socioeconomic needs of local fishermen.
As a follow-up to these consultations, SPNL will be providing basic fishing equipment to promote legal and environmentally responsible practices, contributing to the long-term balance between nature and people.
The BioConnect project, funded by the European Union, aims to strengthen management and governance of ecologically important sites while expanding biodiversity protection across southern Lebanon.
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