Launch of Lebanon’s first ever Hunting Season

Under the patronage of His Excellency Tarek El Khatib, Minister of Environment, in collaboration with Support to Reforms - Environmental Governance (StREG) project, funded by the EU, a ceremony was organized at the Hilton Habtoor Beirut on 13 September  to launch the start of Lebanon’s first ever Hunting Season. 

The ceremony was principally attended by Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) and Forest Guards personnel as the key and practical administrators of the Hunting Law, in Lebanon. The ceremony recognized the importance of their role by issuing over 280 certificates to The ISF (140) and Forest Guards (140), for undertaking necessary training on “Application, Control and Enforcement of the Hunting Law”. The training was provided in the previous months by well renowned ornithology expert Dr. Ghassan Ramadan Jaradi, also a member of the Hunting Higher Council. 

During the ceremony, the Senior Environmental Advisor of the Minister, Manal Moussallem conveyed the Minister’s speech, during which she announced the official Hunting Season opening date (September 15, 2017).

Later, StREG project team Leader, Ms. Constanze Schaaff (see photo), gave a presentation, where she spoke of the importance of protecting the wildlife and biodiversity of Lebanon through meaningful enforcement of the law, and thus recognizing the necessity of taking the first step to implement training widely. Ms. Schaaff noted that the training was essential to encouraging responsible hunting and taking care of vulnerable species, which migrate through or are endemic to Lebanon. 

Afterwards, Lara Samaha, the head of Ecosystems department at the Ministry of Environment, talked in detail about the Hunting Law and the quotas accepted for hunting specific species. In this very informative presentation, Ms. Samaha also discussed and talked through the needed documentation to apply for hunting licenses.