Within the framework of cooperation and coordination regarding the risks of lead contamination in agricultural areas resulting from the high intensity of hunting, and its direct impact on soil, groundwater, crops, and consequently on public health, a joint meeting was held between a team from the Lebanese Red Cross – Disaster Risk Reduction Unit, and the Anti-Poaching Unit APU (affiliated with the Middle East Center for Sustainable Hunting MESHC and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon SPNL), at the International Hima Protection Center (HHIC) in the Western Bekaa.
The meeting addressed the situation in several Bekaa regions experiencing intensive hunting activity and the resulting accumulation of lead residues in agricultural lands, as well as the impact on food safety and water resources. Discussions also focused on mechanisms to reduce these risks and on the role of sustainable hunters in mitigating pollution and protecting public health.
The Lebanese Red Cross team included Zahraa Fahs and Diala Bou Shahab, while the Anti-Poaching Unit was represented by Adonis El Khatib, President of the Middle East Center for Sustainable Hunting and Field Coordinator for Responsible Hunting at SPNL, and Shirine Bou Raffoul, Head of the Unit.
The meeting also included, via Zoom, Rania Khalil, Cooperation Coordinator at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL).
This article was published on this date when the organization was known as the Middle East Sustainable Hunting Center. The name was later changed to the Middle East Center for Sustainable Harvest and Anti-Poaching.