By Assad Serhal, SPNL Director General, HHI Founder and Chairman
Wars are tearing Lebanon and the region apart, with millions of refugees displaced across most parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Conflicts and armed struggles persist in several countries, accompanied by rising regional tensions, the impact of displacement and migration on the social and economic fabric, and the pressures all these factors place on our natural resources and native and migratory wildlife.
SPNL and BirdLife have documented a staggering figure: an estimated 2.6 million birds are illegally shot in Lebanon every year. This urgent situation demands immediate action. Both organizations have been working tirelessly for four decades to mitigate and prevent the decimation of bird populations and habitats in Lebanon and the Middle East region.
More recently, SPNL has been promoting the concept of responsible hunting areas (RHAs). In parallel, it initiated the Anti-Poaching Unit (APU) with the Middle East Center for Sustainable Hunting, in partnership with the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), always with direct support from municipalities, ministries, and law enforcement authorities and generous finance from MAVA Foundation, Bird Fair (UK), HWF, SRT, CEPF, and others.
Our efforts have not been in vain. Over the last decade, we have witnessed several success stories at the governance and policy levels, thanks to our actions on the ground in various regions and migratory bird hotspots. These stories of success should give us hope and optimism for the future.
While we have made significant progress, we must recognize that more action and funding are urgently needed. Your support is crucial to helping us train the new Homat Al Hima, the Hima nature heroes, to become wildlife guardians at the community level. We have successfully implemented this model with the Himas, saving wildlife sites and habitats in over 6% of the Lebanese territory. There are 33 protected sites (Himas) across Lebanon, representing the country’s top IBBAS and KBAs.
Responsible hunting areas could be added to the 33 sites for Lebanon to realize the Global Biodiversity Framework›s ambitious 30×30 target, with protected sites comprising 30% of its area. This would be along with a professional and cost-effective community-based approach to restoring nature and sustainably managing our resources.
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