Despite the closure of the hunting season, the Anti-Poaching Unit (APU) uncovered several illegal trapping nets in an area east of Lebanon. Alongside the nets, the team discovered feathers, severed heads, and wings of freshly caught birds — grim evidence of ongoing mass killings. Although these findings represent only one site out of the tens of thousands of trapping locations blocking the flyways of migratory birds, this intervention marks an important start.
The operation was carried out in response to a documented complaint submitted by sustainable hunters in Deir El Ahmar. Acting in full coordination with the relevant authorities, the APU dismantled and removed the destructive nets to protect migratory species and restore ecological balance.
Trapping nets are among the most destructive tools of illegal hunting, causing the indiscriminate killing of birds — including migratory and endangered species. Such practices devastate local biodiversity, disrupt ecosystems, and tarnish Lebanon’s reputation as a vital global flyway for migratory birds.
“For more than four decades, in partnership with BirdLife International, we have been working to safeguard Lebanon’s biodiversity and to revive the Hima model as a sustainable community-based practice.”
— Assad Serhal, Director General of SPNL
“The mission to remove mass-killing nets in Deir El Ahmar is a living example of how cooperation between sustainable hunters, local communities, and authorities can make a tangible difference in protecting nature.”
— Adonis Khatib, Representative of the Anti-Poaching Unit (APU)
The success of this mission in Deir El Ahmar is not the end, but the beginning of broader and more comprehensive efforts to combat illegal hunting across Lebanon. Through the APU, SPNL calls on all hunters and local communities to respect hunting laws and seasons, report illegal practices, and take part in awareness initiatives to protect biodiversity and safeguard natural heritage for future generations.
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). Operations are carried out in coordination with the Internal Security Forces, the Intelligence and Investigations Branch, and Military Intelligence.
In addition, the work of the APU contributes to the BioConnect project — a 45-month initiative running through October 2025. This project aims to improve the management and governance of ecologically important sites, establish new protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), and enhance the conservation of broader landscapes. Ultimately, BioConnect seeks to restore ecosystem health, deliver socio-economic benefits, and support local communities by addressing the main drivers of biodiversity loss.
