Following a complaint submitted by sustainable hunters in North Lebanon to the Anti-Poaching Unit (APU) regarding an individual who posted photos and videos on social media showing the use of nets and glue traps to hunt a large number of birds, the APU’s cyber monitoring team tracked the suspect’s account and documented all related violations.
The unit alerted the Al-Qalamoun police station within the Internal Security Forces, which swiftly apprehended the individual. The case was referred to North Lebanon’s Public Prosecutor, Judge Ghassan Bassil, who took the appropriate legal measures.
The APU is operated jointly by the Middle East Sustainable Hunting Center (MESHC) and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL). The unit implements a project to combat illegal hunting, supported by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, in collaboration with BirdLife International, and in partnership with CABS (Committee Against Bird Slaughter), in coordination with the Internal Security Forces, the Intelligence and Investigations Branch, and Military Intelligence.
APU’s work also contributes to the BioConnect project—a 45-month initiative running through October 2025. This project focuses on improving the management and governance of ecologically important sites, establishing new protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), and enhancing the conservation of broader landscapes. BioConnect aims to improve ecosystem health, deliver socio-economic benefits, and support local communities by addressing the main drivers of biodiversity loss.
