Combating Poaching in Lebanon: Increased Collaboration between ISF and Anti Poaching Unit

A workshop between the Anti Poaching Unit (APU) and officers from the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) was held yesterday at Luc Hoffmann Hima Center, Kayfoun – Mount Lebanon, to develop cooperation in combating poaching.
Within the Egyptian EV NewLIFE project and MAVA, the APU met with officers from the Internal Security Forces, Investigation and Information Division, to develop an enhancement of communication for combating poaching, where they discussed finding practical solutions to protect nature and the hobby, and how to raise the level of coordination, cooperation and partnership with the security forces, under the patronage and direction of the Director-General of the Internal Security Forces, Major General Imad Othman.
The meeting was attended by Colonel Joseph Musallam, Head of the Public Relations Division in the Directorate, Colonel Milad Nasrallah, Commander of the Zgharta Region, Colonel Ahmed Abu Daher, Commander of the Aley Region, Lieutenant-Colonel Michel Nicolas, Commander of the Zahle Region, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Salmo, commander of the Deir al-Ahmar platoon, Lieutenant-Colonel Charbel Habib, commander of the South Lebanon investigation detachment, Lieutenant-Colonel Boutros Sideh, commander of the North Lebanon investigation detachment, Lieutenant-Colonel Bakhos Shakour of the Mount Lebanon investigation detachment, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Sfeir, Commander of the Aley Regional Platoon, Captain Firas Abu Karroum from the Information Division, along with the Director-General of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon – SPNL / Birdlife Councillor for the Middle East On Birdlife International Council board Asaad Sarhal, President of the Middle East Center for Sustainable Hunting – MESHC / Field Coordinator of the file SPNL Responsible Hunting Adonis El-Khatib, SPNL Egyptian Vulture Project Manager Louis Junior Saad, APU Head/CABS International Representative Shirine Bou Raffoul and members of the unit and SPNL management.
The meeting went over the hunting law and the decrees associated with it. Same as it was followed up with a session on the need for the ISF to better support APU’s work on the ground. In addition, the discussion tackled additional communication plans to better implement effective field operations.
After the meeting, SPNL and MESHC announced the name of Joseph after an Egyptian Vulture – after the efforts of Colonel Joseph Musallam in the fight against poaching for over five years. This Egyptian Vulture is one of the recently captured from a farm in the North.

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