Shell casings litter a meadow on Mount Terbol in northern Lebanon. The valley below falls along one of the world’s busiest routes for migratory birds. The mountain peak, buffeted by harsh winds, creates a natural corridor that encourages birds fatigued from long journeys between Africa and Eurasia to fly at low altitudes.
Those low-flying birds are easy targets for poachers who live in the mountain communities, says Michel Sawan, director of the Lebanese Association of Migratory Birds (Lamb). “They say: ‘We inherited this culture from our grandfathers,’ and I keep saying: ‘Your grandfathers are and were wrong.’”
Every year, 2.6 million birds are illegally killed as they fly over Lebanese territory, according to BirdLife International. They are shot as they migrate seasonally between Eurasia and Africa, a journey undertaken by about 2 billion birds.
Lebanese law prohibits the hunting of migratory birds, but a weak government in Beirut, a financial crisis, and war along the southern border with Israel mean few resources are devoted to enforcing hunting laws, which often require security personnel to arrest members of their own community.