On Friday, August 25, the Middle East Sustainable Hunting Center – MESHC – celebrated the conclusion of the Assaad Adel Serhal Wildlife Photography Prize 2023– AASWPP, which was launched in cooperation with local and international partners, as an alternative activity for responsible hunters outside the hunting season.

The ceremony, which was held at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon’s Mount Lebanon Hima Center in Kayfoun, was attended by heads of environmental NGOs, mayors and notaries, as well as sustainable hunters and environmental activists.

The Center honored the winners and all participants for their efforts in establishing the concepts of responsible hunting and of protecting nature, in the presence of more than 60 people from different Lebanese regions, including SPNL President Mrs. Afaf Saidi.

Speaking at the ceremony, Assad Serhal, Director General of the Society for the Protection of Nature (SPNL) pointed out the importance of teamwork in achieving goals and thanked the participating hunters and the MESHC for the tremendous effort of holding a ceremony related to the protection of birds amidst some of the most difficult circumstances that Lebanon has been through, stressing that hope will remain as long as there are people who dream.

Adonis Khatib, who is head of the MESHC and field coordinator for responsible hunting at SPNL, spoke at the ceremony, as did member of the award judging committee Dr. Mona Sayegh, who is a visual artist, the sponsor of the award, head of Dar Shayban for Culture and Art Saad Shaiban who is a visual artist.

The young Naram Al-Khatib also spoke, about the project he is implementing to achieve the best conditions for voting and protection from inaccurate accounts, which will be launched with the fourth edition of the award in the spring of 2024. A number of attendees gave an opinion regarding the award, its educational impact, and the need to publish it internationally.

The committee’s first prize was won by hunters Michel Sawan and Tsolak Herklian. In the first place among the “audience’s choice” prizes came the hunter Jean-Claude Berber, whose prize was received on his behalf by hunter Khaled Bou Younes, who is also head of his “trigger team”. The second place in the “audience’s choice” prizes went to hunter Hadeel Hamieh, who was also given a certificate of thanks and appreciation for her ongoing support to the prize since its inception. The third place in the “audience’s choice” went to hunter Maroun Bou Raffoul.

The MESHC also honored the members of the award’s judging committee for their efforts since the launch of the prize in 2021 until the present day. Certificates of thanks and appreciation were distributed along with sets of books about the world of birds to the participants in the competition in appreciation of their efforts.

The competition and prize are funded by the Hans Wilford Foundation (HWF).

Assad Serhal is the member of the Gusi Peace Prize board of Trustees 2023, the MIDORI Prize Winner for Biodiversity, the year 2018. Decorated by the minister of the environment with the “ Silver Lebanese Order of Merit Medal “, offered to Assad by The President of Lebanon, in the year 2019. He was awarded BirdLife Member of Honour from HIH Princess Takamado and was also awarded the IUCN Honorary Membership Award at the council meeting of the World Conservation Congress 2020.