Poachers’ social media posts reveal alarming extent of illegal wildlife hunting in Lebanon

(Press-News.org) Public posts on social media platforms shed light on the extent and nature of prolific illegal wildlife hunting in Lebanon, research in Oryx—The International Journal of Conservation, published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora, has found. 

The study is the first to use social media as a tool for assessing illegal hunting activities in Lebanon. The country, along with the Mediterranean region more broadly, is a global poaching blackspot, particularly for the illegal killing of protected birds.  

The researchers analysed photographs posted on social media platforms to assess the bird species targeted in Lebanon. During 2011–2023, they reviewed 1,844 photographs publicly posted by poachers on Facebook and Instagram. In these images showing dead birds and other wildlife, the team identified 212 bird species, of which 94% are legally protected. Many are species of conservation concern, with 19 listed as threatened or Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and 33% experiencing population declines in Europe. 

Lead author of the research paper, André F. Raine of Archipelago Research and Conservation, Hanapēpē, Kauaʻi, USA, said:  

“Illegal hunting of migratory birds across the Mediterranean region is a serious international conservation issue. For some species, such as the lesser spotted eagle and Levant sparrowhawk, almost the entire world population passes over Lebanon during migration. The relentless killing of large numbers of these birds, as well as other species already on the IUCN Red List, will clearly have severe impacts on their long-term population trajectories.  

“The scale of illegal hunting in Lebanon is at a level rarely seen across the entire migratory flyway.  Furthermore, the fact that hunters are happy to pose with large numbers of illegally shot species on social media pages open to the public highlights their current sense of impunity, and may in itself be further driving the rampant poaching across the country.” 

Social media’s attraction for illegal wildlife hunters  

The researchers observed that Lebanese poachers appeared unconcerned about posting images and videos of their illegal hunting on public social media platforms and groups, posing enthusiastically with their trophies and often making no attempt to hide their identities. 

Co-author Lloyd Scott of the Committee Against Bird Slaughter, Bonn, Germany, said: 

“Allowing social media users to continually post images of protected species that have been killed creates a cycle of rewarding illegal behaviour, often tempting hunters to compete for photographs with the rarest species or the most carcasses, thereby perpetuating the issue.  

“Facebook, Instagram and TikTok must be more proactive in screening and regulating posts relating to wildlife crime.” 

The researchers noted that although they have reported multiple posts viewed during their analysis via the appropriate reporting channels, they have not yet seen any specific action taken – despite these posts violating Meta’s sanctions against graphic violence and animal abuse. 

How social media can help fix the problem 

The researchers argue that although social media may be encouraging certain aspects of poachers’ criminal behaviour, they also have the potential to improve the situation. 

Previous studies have highlighted how social media can benefit wildlife conservation, including by increasing pro-conservation behaviour amongst the public, increasing conservation funding and inciting policy changes. In the case of illegal hunting, photographs published by hunters on social media can motivate international discourse, environmental campaigns and diplomacy addressing the issue of bird poaching. For example, images of numerous hunted white storks galvanised a Polish campaign to reduce illegal bird killing in Lebanon. 

Lebanese groups such as the Middle Eastern Sustainable Hunting Centre have also been using social media to promote legal hunting and to applaud hunters who are adhering to the hunting laws in Lebanon, using their platform to educate and to encourage hunters to attend workshops, and to suggest alternatives to hunting, such as photography. Similarly, multiple bird conservation groups such as the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon and the Association for Bird Conservation in Lebanon regularly use social media posts to encourage the general population to bird watch and visit nature reserves, and provide education on bird conservation issues. 

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