Cruel Bird Trapping Exposed in Lebanon: Joint Teams Dismantle Limesticks in Anfeh
This cruel trapping method remains widespread in Lebanon, where songbirds are considered a delicacy that fetches high prices in restaurants — illegally, of course.
So far, teams participating in Lebanon’s annual bird protection camp, in close cooperation with the Internal Security Forces (ISF) in Anfeh, North Lebanon, have dismantled and confiscated 100 limesticks. Several birds trapped on the sticks were carefully cleaned of the sticky glue by activists and released back into the wild.
Field teams will continue to closely monitor several locations where trapping activity is expected in the coming days and weeks. This latest operation in Anfeh coincides with the autumn migration season and the launch of Lebanon’s annual bird protection camp.
International teams from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) — including experts from the UK, Germany, and Turkey — are joining forces with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) and the Middle East Sustainable Hunting Center (MESHC). Together, and in close coordination with the ISF and the Lebanese Army, they are monitoring key migratory bottlenecks, investigating trapping hotspots, and disrupting illegal practices such as the use of nets and limesticks across mountain passes, coastal areas, and the Beqaa Valley.
About the Anti-Poaching Unit (APU)
The APU is jointly operated by MESHC and SPNL. It is supported by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, in collaboration with BirdLife International and in partnership with CABS. All operations are carried out in close coordination with Lebanese authorities, including the Internal Security Forces, the Intelligence and Investigations Branch, and Military Intelligence.
Part of the BioConnect Project
The work of the APU also contributes to the BioConnect Project — a 45-month initiative running through October 2025. BioConnect aims to:
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Improve management and governance of ecologically important sites
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Establish new protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs)
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Enhance conservation across landscapes while restoring ecosystem health
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Deliver socio-economic benefits and support local communities by addressing drivers of biodiversity loss
