Convened by the Syrian Society for the conservation of Wildlife (SSCW) with patronage from Ministry of Local Administration and Environment (MLAE) and in cooperation with Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR), and with logistic support from Birdlife International. The Society held a workshop with the title: (Al-Jabboul Ramsar site: an important Syrian IBA towards sustainable development: Restoration of natural habitats and aspects for economic, social and ecological development to the area). The workshopwas attended by more than 100 participants from different stakeholders from governmental bodies, local communities, research institutes, and supporting agencies involved in the development of the site after the deterioration to the site due to recent unrest activities in the region of Eastern Aleppo.

The workshop has some presentations from all relevant stakeholders about their vision to develop the area and how to contribute for the enhancement of locals’ livelihood as well as schemes to generate means for development. The discussions at the end of each session presented ways to move forward in the restoration process with much stress on giving the priorities for the conservation of nature and its unique components over the hast economic development of the communities from direct investments. The workshop concluded with a set of outcomes and recommendation for the Jabboul committee to monitor the restoration taking into consideration its ecological importance as IBA and being the only RAMSAR site in Syria.

Under the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR) and in cooperation with the Migratory Soaring Birds project (MSB), the Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife (SSCW) held a workshop entitled: “Rehabilitation of Hunters and Cadres for the implementation of the updated hunting law“. This workshop was held in the meeting room of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform at the Hijaz Square in Damascus, on May 10, 2015. More than forty representatives of various civil and governmental organizations, hunters and local communities participated in it

The participants discussed various topics during the workshop focusing on the importance of activating the role of Hunters in managing sustainable hunting activating along those involved from the local communities and the need to proceed further to update the Hunting law and its procedures and the importance of establishing centers for game birds breeding for hunting activities within Hunting reserves and promoting the establishment of hunting clubs aiming to adopt the concepts of sustainable and responsible hunting.

Damascus 11/ 05/2014

Under the generous patronage of the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs (MSEA) and in cooperation with the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), the Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife (SSCW) held the concluding workshop of the project: Improving the Conservation Status of Globally Threatened birds at Jabboul Wetland , on Sunday May 11, 2014 at the Blue Tower Hotel in Damascus.

The Project aimed at strengthening the enforcement of hunting laws and regulations and enhance more responsible practices for birds hunting in Al Jabboul Ramsar site and improving the hunters and locals awareness of the need to conserve birds and their habitat. The workshop has presented highlights of the most important outcomes of the project delivered by SSCW. These achievements are categorized by the outputs for this project, the most important of which are:

1. Building a bird watching tower on the banks of the Sabkhat Al-Jabboul;
2. Rehabilitation of the main square at the entrance to Al-Jabboul village(the flamingo roundabout);
3. Surveys on the state of hunting and hunters at Al-Jabboul area;
4. Preparing and printing a guide for the Best Practices in Hunting;
5. Providing 20 solar cookers for distribution to the locals at Al-Jabboul village;
6. Providing bird ringing equipment and training technical personnel on how to ring and record birds;
7. Training part of the local community about the sustainable management of natural resources.
8. Combat of pollution: SSCW started a very important campaign to stop the pollution which results from a private chemical factory (SYSACO), and in cooperation with the MSEA, the factory was stopped from operation until the rehabilitation of its waste treatment station is reached.
9. Publishing the First National Bird Field Guide in Syria: SSCW has published in cooperation with Birdlife International the first national Field Guide for Birds, documenting about 400 species in Syria.

An outcome of close follow-up and cooperation between Government Agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations.

Damascus 21/ 11/2013

The sterling efforts made and productive cooperation between the Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife (SSCW) and the national governmental bodies were proved fruitful. These efforts emerged from the importance of achieving sustainable management of hunting and wildlife investment and protection through the development of current legislation and bylaws. This was materialized through efforts to support the capacity building of technical staff that are capable of implementing legislation and executive instructions through a series of workshops implemented in cooperation with the Ministries of Environment (MSEA) and Agriculture (MAAR) (September 2012, May 19, 2013, November 10, 2013, November 14, 2013) with the participation of all stakeholders. Among the most important outcomes of these workshops were promoting wildlife conservation and explaining the negative impact of hunting and other activities such as international trade and trafficking. Furthermore, these workshops have succeeded as well in presenting mechanisms to achieve an updated and modern legislation that takes into account international standards in a logical and applicable way, as well as the importance of government and civil cooperation in reaching these goals.

The Society is proud to see the beginning of such outcome of cooperation efforts between government and NGOs through the issuance of Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Dr. Nazira Sarkis a Ministerial Resolution No. 1307 / s / f – date 11/20/2013. This decision prohibits the export of animals and plants listed within the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Syria signed to join this agreement in 2002 and entered into force in 2003.

It is undoubtedly, that this decision is a supportive step to protect the diverse wildlife in Syria by limiting the gathering or harvesting of these creatures and their products and such related international trade activities.

Under the patronage of the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment (MLAE) and in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR), the Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife (SSCW) held a workshop “Towards sustainable hunting and the Launch of the new Arabic version of the field guide for Birds of the Middle East”. This event was held in the National Museum Hall in Damascus on Wednesday, December 27, 2017. A wide variety of interested people in environmental affairs and wildlife and Birds participated in this important workshop from governmental bodies, universities, researchers, students, hunters, and SSCW members. The expected results from the modernization of the hunting law and the remaining procedures needed to reach an updated Hunting Law were presented. The advantages and sequence of steps needed for the update of the law and reviewing it in line with international conventions and agreements related to the protection of environment, biological diversity and wildlife in order to reach sustainable hunting in the country were reviewed and explained. The current status of hunting activities and its current developments with the imposed ban for all related activities, as well as what hunters have to do to reach an effective implementation of the hunting regulation and law in Syria, were also reviewed.

At the end of the workshop, all the topics presented in the workshop were discussed and the attendees participated in this effectively. The panel answered the questions raised and there was an agreement about the importance of organizing the hunting activities in a way that makes this practice sustainable and through updating the national legislation. There is a need to rehabilitate an appropriate team of observers and enforcing agents to implement the process in the best way, as well as the importance of disseminating the concept of sustainable hunting among the hunters with urging them to respect wildlife to remain for them and the future generations.

In cooperation between the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs MSEA (currently the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment), the General Commission for the Management and Development of the Badia (GCB) and the Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife (SSCW), the inaugural meeting for the Sociable Lapwing International Working Group was held at the headquarters of the General Commission for the Management and Development of the Badia in Palmyra. This meeting was sponsored by the international agreement for the protection of African and Eurasian migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) which Syria has signed and ratified this agreement by virtue of a legislative decree issued in November 2002.

This meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, the General Commission for the Management and Development of the Badia (GCB). Furthermore, experts from the BirdLife International, the Secretariat of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds Agreement (AEWA), the Ornithological Society for the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia, (OSME), and The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and representatives of the countries in which the social lapwing is prevalent in natural conditions in Asia, Africa and Europe have also participated in this meeting. During this meeting, the necessary steps to protect this endangered species were reviewed, and the necessary stages and tasks required to prepare and formulate an international Action Plan to protect it on the global level.

Under the patronage of Dr. Nazira Sarkis, Minister of State for Environmental Affairs, the Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife (SSCW) held, in cooperation with the Migratory Soaring Birds project (MSB), a celebration on the occasion of the World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) under the theme “Destinations Flyways: Migratory Birds and Tourism“, on Monday December 22, 2014 at the Umayya Hotel – Damascus. During this Celebration and as a side event, Syria, represented by the Minister of Environment, Dr. Sarkis, has signed the memorandum of understanding for the protection of birds of prey (Raptors MoU), on belief of the Syrian government. This shows the Syrian government’s belief in the importance of international participation in bird protection and environment. The event was also attended by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, the Ministry of Tourism, the Badia Development and Management Commission, the State Regional Planning Commission in Syria.

Damascus 24/12/2014

The Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife (SSCW) under the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR) and in cooperation with Migratory Soaring Birds (MSB) Project, held a training day at the Meeting Hall of MAAR, Damascus. The training was about: Hunting Guide & the Code of the Best Practices for Sustainable and Responsible Hunting to follow up the latest efforts to modernise the Hunting Law in Syria with the collective efforts by the Society with the support and patronage from other governmental institutions. These efforts are going along with other hard work carried out by SSCW to produce the first Hunting Manual. During the event, the announcement of the establishment and the Preliminary Launching of the first Syrian Sustainable Hunting Club (SSHC) in the country to comprise elite of responsible hunters that would adhere to these best practices in their hunting activities when the law allows this to happen once the modern law is being issued.

The Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife, with the patronage from the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs (MSEA) and with the support of the Regional Migratory Soaring Bird Project (MSB), held an expanded national workshop under the title: “Presenting the draft short-term Action Plan for the management of wild hunting activity in Syria” in Damascus – Blue Tower Hotel. This was to get the needed support and approval from the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR) to be adopted and enforced as a way forward to manage this sector.

The workshop aimed to present the draft of the national Action Plan (prepared by the Society’s experts) to the national authorities concerned with its direct or indirect implementation. The workshop was attended by 46 representatives from various stakeholders and sectors including Agriculture, Environment, Justice, Interior, Tourism and Water Resources and from different related institutes and disciplines (academic, research, executive and administrative authorities) as well as representatives of the Supreme Commission for Regional Planning, the General Commission for the Management and Development of the Badia (GCB), Small Grants Program (SGP), some NGOs and other entities that can play a role in Support the approval and implementation of this draft Action Plan to be adopted.