Between the Ministry of Environment’s denial and the welcoming of the bottom municipality: the wild fishing season is suspended on the Supreme Council

The controversy over the wild hunting season in Lebanon has returned to the fore, after the conflicting news about the opening of the season or not. At a time when some media outlets circulated a news about the issuance of the Minister of Environment Tamara Al -Zain as a decision to open the season, its media office was quick to deny these news, stressing that “any decision of this kind has not been issued until its date, and that any step remains dependent on the issuance of the decree of the formation of the” Supreme Council for Wild Fishing “, which is legally authorized to propose or prevent the season.”

The Ministry of Environment also stressed that the official information in this field is issued exclusively, warning the media against publishing inaccurate news, in an attempt to limit the discussion to legal and institutional frameworks. On the other hand, the Al -Qaa municipality chose to keep pace with the discussion from another angle, as it welcomed all the fishermen, wishing them a successful and safe season, but it put a set of strict controls to protect the environment and ensure the safety of the population. Among the most prominent of these instructions: respect for private property, collecting waste, especially empty cartridges, refraining from hunting near the lake or residential areas, and full cooperation with the municipality. The municipality also warned that any violation would expose its owner to legal accountability. This contrast between the position of the Ministry of Environment, which refers the file to the reference of the “Supreme Council for Wild Hunting”, and the position of Al -Qa`a Al -Hasah, within specific conditions, reveals the imbalance in the management of this sector. The Supreme Council, which was established under the Law of Wild Fishing, is supposed to form the national reference for the development of policies and control of seasons, except that the disruption of its formation made the file hostage to individual jurisprudence and local pressure.
In the absence of the council, the fishermen find themselves in a state of waiting and blurry: Will the season officially open by a decision of the Ministry of Environment after completing the legal frameworks? Or remains local initiatives, as the Al -Qaa municipality step, is the practical reference on the ground? The answer remains pending, but it is certain that Lebanon needs an integrated approach to wild fishing, preserving biological diversity and a balance between the right of fishermen to exercise their hobby and the duty of the state to protect the environment. The formation of the Supreme Council for Wild Fishing is no longer an administrative luxury, but rather a national necessity to unify the reference and end the chaos that accompanies each season.

Source:
Specific Lebanon 24