The Libyan Wildlife Trust (LWT) has raised alarm over the country’s growing role in illegal bird hunting, revealing that more than 503,000 birds are killed every year across Libya, placing it fourth in the Arab world for bird poaching, according to data from BirdLife International.
In its latest statement, the society cited a new regional report on the illegal killing of birds in the Mediterranean, describing the findings as “a wake-up call for the region.” The report estimates that around 25 million birds are killed annually across Mediterranean countries due to illegal hunting, trapping, and other unlawful activities.
The organization warned that the environmental damage caused by such large-scale poaching extends far beyond the loss of bird species. “We are not only losing birds,” the society said, “we are losing the natural balance that protects crops from pests, controls the spread of insects and rodents, and sustains the ecosystems that support human life.”
According to BirdLife International’s ranking, Egypt tops the list of Arab countries with an estimated 5.4 million birds killed each year, followed by Syria with 3.9 million, Lebanon with 2.6 million, and Libya in fourth place with 503,000.
The report identifies songbirds as the most affected, with more than 20 million killed annually, in addition to waterfowl, pigeons, and migratory species that traverse North Africa on their route between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.
The Libyan Wildlife Trust stressed that protecting birds is not a luxury, but an urgent environmental and public necessity. It called for stronger enforcement of hunting laws, public awareness campaigns, and coordinated efforts with regional and international conservation bodies to curb poaching and preserve biodiversity.
Environmental experts warn that if illegal hunting continues at current levels, the Mediterranean could face irreversible ecological damage, threatening both wildlife and food security across the region.
