Bird trapping with nets in Lebanon
Mist-nets are still widely used in Lebanon despite clear legal bans. This non-selective method catches any bird that flies into them. Against a dark background, they are practically invisible, blocking the flight path and giving the birds no chance.
In Lebanon, which is especially rich in species during the migratory season, dozens of different bird species get entangled every year - from warblers and shrikes to nightjars, turtle doves or cuckoos. Warblers as well as orioles, are sometimes deliberately trapped with electronic decoys. As with the use of limesticks, bird trapping with nets in Lebanon takes place mainly in coastal areas as well as in the Bekaa Valley and in the south of the country.
In contrast to other areas of operation such as Spain, Italy, Malta or Cyprus, where the nets are well hidden, in Lebanon huge net trapping site are found and dismantled every year, sometimes with more than two dozen nets (each usually around 10 m long). They are usually open and easily visible in gardens, olive groves or on fallow land, so that our teams often need only a few minutes to find a double-digit number of trapping sites. The birds caught there are usually for personal consumption or offered for sale as food or pets.
During our bird protection camps in Lebanon, we work with our partners and the Lebanese authorities to remove around 100 nets each year, with a total length of over 1,000 metres. In the process, we often free birds that are still alive, which we release while they are still on site.