Poachers heading towards illegal hunting areas in Akkar. Photo sent by our correspondent Michel Hallak.
BEIRUT — Activists have raised alarms over an escalating bird poaching crisis in Lebanon's Akkar region, located in the country's far north.
Animal protection advocate Ghina Nahfawi Baltagi shared a video on Wednesday showing dozens of hunters targeting migratory storks in Arida (Akkar), accompanied by photos and videos on social media. She tagged relevant ministries to highlight the urgent issue.
According to our regional correspondent, poaching has spread across several areas in Akkar. The gravity of the situation prompted both the ministers of Environment and Agriculture to address the issue, with Information Minister Paul Morcos highlighting the "need to protect migratory birds" during a Cabinet meeting Thursday, though no further details were provided.
According to our correspondent, the areas of "Jabal Terbol and the entire coast of Akkar, particularly the part between the junction of the Syrian city of Homs and the Lebanese border town of Arida, have turned into wild hunting grounds for migratory birds passing early through the skies of Lebanon this season."
Lebanon is a key migratory birds corridor between Africa and Europe. The country's numerous water sources attract migratory birds, yet a hunting law that could regulate this activity has never been fully enforced. Former Environment Minister Nasser Yassine, who also headed the Higher Hunting Council, advocated for a complete hunting ban but was unable to curb rampant poaching.
This illegal hunting is twofold: first, migratory birds, storks in this case, are not included on the list of legally hunted species and are protected by international conventions; second, hunting them during their nesting season is criminal.
Our correspondent added, "Hundreds of amateur hunters position themselves in mandatory passageways for the birds to trap them, especially during the weekend." White and black storks or pelicans and raptors pay a heavy toll for their passage over Lebanon, as poachers use hunting weapons often without licenses, as well as military-grade weapons, to shoot the birds without any safeguards.
Baltagi and our correspondent highlighted the tireless efforts of a small number of law enforcement officers in Akkar, noting that their limited presence has been insufficient to stop the hunting frenzy. Local residents, angered by the extent of the illegal activity, have voiced their frustrations over the growing phenomenon.
Cited by our correspondent, the president and founder of the Committee for the Protection of the Environment in Kobeyate (Akkar), Antoine Daher, has strongly criticized these practices and "the inaction of law enforcement who, if they had acted more firmly in the past, would have spared the country the sad spectacle that repeats itself."
He has called on "the new government, particularly its leader and the Interior Minister, to give their directives for law enforcement to effectively put an end to these practices." He also warned of the environmental and public safety risks posed by uncontrolled hunting.
According to BirdLife International, an international NGO partnership for bird conservation, about 2.6 million birds are illegally killed on average in Lebanon by poachers over a year.
