Biodiversity Conservation at Jabboul

Improving the Conservation Status of Globally Threatened Water-birds Wintering at Jabboul Ramsar Wetland through Promoting and Implementing Responsible Hunting Practices

Sabkhat Al Jabboul (a Ramsar site).

Our Partners: Small Grants Programme (SGP) GEF – UNDP, Birdlife International

The overall goal of the project is to “Improve the conservation status of the avifaunal diversity of Jabbul Ramsar site as a key important bird area (IBA) along the Western Palearctic flyway”. The specific purpose of the project is to “Strengthen the enforcement of hunting laws and regulations and enhance a wise and more responsible hunting practices in Al Jabboul Ramsar site and improve the hunters and locals’ awareness of the need to conserve birds and their habitat”.

Objectives:

1- A review of information on current bird hunting, its impact, capacity for its management, socioeconomic importance, potential alternatives, and best practice for hunting of migratory birds in Jubboul Ramsar Site;

2- Production of national and site specific guidelines and model for a more responsible, wise and thus ecologically sustainable approach to the hunting of birds at Jabboul Ramsar Site;

3- Promotion of a wise, more responsible and ecologically sustainable hunting behaviour. through the development of educational materials, including an identification guide for rare species, and hunter awareness days;

4- Improving public awareness. through the production of educational materials and programmes for the public in Aleppo and in particular, the populated areas surrounding Jabboul Ramsar Site on bird conservation and more responsible, wise and ecologically sustainable hunting practices;

5- To facilitate the development and improve the enforcement of effective hunting legislation complying with related international agreements like CITES, CMS, CBD, AEWA and others through a review of current legislation, review of government obligations under related international agreements, drafting suggestions of amendments and design of hunting permit systems, in a partnership between national and local government, conservation and hunting groups;

6- Resolving conflict and building partnerships through a training workshop (20 to 30 participants) on communication, negotiation and conflict-resolution which will provide the tools for resolving government-hunter and hunter-conservationist conflicts in Syria and improve advocacy work and networking between groups. To this, the project will improve capacity of selected main stakeholder NGOs to conduct advocacy and fund-raising programmes related to hunting issues;

7- Production of a National Action Plan. A National Action Plan for Sustainable Hunting and Conservation of Migratory Birds in Jabboul being developed and actions needed to continue and build on the Project’s efforts;

8- Dissemination of Project results. Project results produced in a variety of forms and widely distributed to key stakeholders and target audiences in Syria; and

9- Task management and reporting. A project management and monitoring system established.

The main achieved outcomes from the project were:

  • Building a Birdwatching tower
  • Building of Flamingo roundabout
  • Training Hunters workshop
  • Distributing Solar Cookers
  • Report about the Hunting situation in Jabboul
  • Guide of hunting Best Practices
  • WMBD celebration 2012
  • Report on the National Hunting legislation
  • Change of the local’s behaviour from Birds Hunters to Bird watchers and conservationists