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Special Force Set to Stop Illegal Bird Killing

Migratory birds are the most visible group of migratory species worldwide. Everybody in their daily life has seen birds coming and going with the seasons, providing a spectacular view to enjoy. However, migratory birds are disappearing every year!

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#Stopillegalbirdkilling

Lebanon is a hotspot for unlawful hunting; SPNL has been working relentlessly to fight this phenomenon

Illegal killing seriously affects a number of species protected under CMS and AEWA that are globally threatened with extinction

Illegal killing seriously affects a number of species protected under CMS and AEWA that are globally threatened with extinction

Egyptian Vultures fall victim of poisoning as well as shooting and nest robbing.

Poisoning causes high mortality in migratory birds. It seriously affects threatened species and certain birds of prey in particular.

Poisoning causes high mortality in migratory birds. It seriously affects threatened species and certain birds of prey in particular.

Illegal trade in vultures and other raptors is contributing to their decline.

According to BirdLife International, an estimated 25 million birds, including endangered species of waterfowl, songbirds and raptors are killed illegally each year around the Mediterranean Sea alone, undermining efforts to protect them. Lebanon lies on a strategic position: on the second most important flyway in the world between Europe & Asia downward to Africa in autumn, and backwards in spring. But in terms of intensity - birds killed per square kilometer - Lebanon ranks third, trailing only Malta and Cyprus. Tragically, migratory soaring birds (MSBs) face tremendous threats while flying over Lebanon. These threats include, but are not restricted to, poisoning, electrocution, and indiscriminate hunting.

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Working together to stop the massacres

SPNL has been coordinating with the Middle East Sustainable Hunting Center (MESHC) and the German Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), and with the help of the Lebanese authorities, efforts have been devoted to implement Lebanon’s hunting law, which was passed in 2004 and which regulates the pastime of hunting. In 2019, for the first time, the Lebanese Ministry of Interior and Municipalities began prosecuting unlawful hunters on a larger scale than ever before, and much of this progress was due to the lobbying and activism of SPNL and its partners, both local and international. SPNL aims to inspire more people than ever before to take action to prevent the growing strain on planet Earth's natural systems from reaching breaking point. Stop the illegal killing, taking and trade!