The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) participated in the regional Important Killing Blackspots (IKBs) meeting organized by the BirdLife International Middle East Regional Office in Amman on 2 June 2026. The meeting brought together BirdLife partners and conservation organizations from across the region to review the achievements of the “Safe Flyway 3” project and jointly discuss priorities for a new regional conservation initiative.
During the meeting, the donor supporting the Safe Flyway programme welcomed BirdLife International’s intention to submit a new five-year regional proposal aimed at strengthening efforts to combat the illegal killing of birds, protect migratory flyways, and promote community-based conservation across the Middle East.
Representing SPNL, Head of Nature Conservation Department Bassima Khatib presented Lebanon’s achievements under the Safe Flyway 3 project, highlighting the organization’s integrated approach combining conservation, law enforcement, awareness raising, and community engagement.
Over the three-year project period (2023–2025), SPNL achieved significant results through the Hima approach and the work of its Anti-Poaching Unit (APU). Key accomplishments included the declaration of 20 new Himas, the GIS mapping and international recognition of 26 Hima sites, and the conservation of approximately 6.5% of Lebanon’s territory. The project also reached more than 1,240 students, engaged 233 youth through the Homat Al Hima programme, and successfully promoted behavioural change among hunters and local communities.
SPNL reported substantial progress in combating illegal bird killing through the Anti-Poaching Unit, which documented and followed up on 463 violation cases in cooperation with the Internal Security Forces (ISF), trained 69 Hima Police officers, and supported the rescue of 49 injured migratory birds. The organization also reached more than 1,680 people through awareness and behaviour-change activities, exceeding project targets.
In her presentation, Khatib emphasized several factors behind the project’s success, including strengthened cooperation with responsible hunters, close partnerships with the Internal Security Forces, innovative awareness campaigns, increased media outreach, and the use of digital monitoring and cyber-tracking tools to identify and document illegal hunting activities. She also highlighted SPNL’s collaboration with international partners, including the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture to combat illegal wildlife trade.
Despite these achievements, SPNL noted several ongoing challenges affecting bird conservation efforts in Lebanon. These include the country’s prolonged economic crisis, limited resources available to enforcement agencies, security constraints resulting from regional instability and the war in Lebanon, and the continued influence of individuals able to evade accountability for environmental violations.
Looking ahead, SPNL identified several priority needs for future support, including strengthening the operational capacity of the Anti-Poaching Unit through equipment and operational funding, establishing model Responsible Hunting Associations across Lebanon’s governorates, and expanding rehabilitation and rescue services for injured migratory soaring birds.
The Safe Flyway initiative has demonstrated that conservation success depends on partnerships between communities, authorities, responsible hunters, and civil society organizations. SPNL looks forward to contributing its experience from Lebanon to the development of the next regional programme, ensuring safer migratory routes for millions of birds crossing the Middle East every year.
SPNL reaffirmed its commitment to BirdLife International’s vision of protecting migratory birds along one of the world’s most important flyways and strengthening the Hima model as a community-led approach to biodiversity conservation across Lebanon.
