Charges against songbird trapper in Hammana

June 18, 2021 6:34 pm

Responsible Hunting, What we do

Follow information received in recent week, police have convicted a man for using live traps to illegally trap goldfinches in Hammana and Falougha villages in Mount Lebanon.

Having received a complaint from citizens in the area about certain poachers hunting for wild goldfinch with mist nets and glue, the Anti-poaching unit that works as a Liaison between for Sustainable Hunting program for SPNL (Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon), and the Middle East Sustainable Hunting Center (MESHC) in partnership with the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), documented the violation and notified the security forces in cooperation with the municipal police of Hammana. The Internal Security Forces (ISF) came immediately and issued an arrest warrant against the poachers.

Wild-caught goldfinches are popular cage birds and are traded on the black market. SPNL and its partners regularly uncover cases of illegal trapping and trade of goldfinches in Lebanon.

According to hunting law (580/2004) violations can be punished with a fine of up to 500,000 Lira or alternatively with up to one-month imprisonment. In addition, the hunting permit can be withdrawn for up to three years in the case of serious offenses. In the case of repeat offenders, the double penalty applies.

The anti-poaching project in Lebanon is based on partnership and cooperation between MESHC and SPNL on the one hand, and between SPNL and the MSB – Migratory Soaring Birds Project funded by the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the project to fight illegal hunting funded by MAVA, and the EV New LIFE project, under the EU fund, on the other hand.