Hunting is the hobby of many Lebanese citizens, political Zua’ama, artists, and businessmen. Laws and regulations only authorize the hunting of certain species of birds within a specified time period, yet it is widely practiced when there is no control and when it takes place in remote areas far from security forces.

As hunting is booming despite being prohibited, the number of hunting shops across Lebanon is increasing. The owners seek to renew their permits to avoid closing their shops in view of business growth. Some people are addicted to this hobby and cannot stop practicing it, whatever the financial and legal obstacles and difficulties may be. 

Permits
Legislative Decree No. 137 of June 12, 1969, and its amendments (Weapons and Ammunition Law), especially Article 3 thereof, stipulates: “No natural or legal person may carry out on Lebanese territory any form of manufacture or trade relating to any class of material, arms, or ammunition without having first obtained a legal permit that shall be issued at the discretion of the Ministers of Interior and National Defense. The application for a permit shall be submitted to the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities.”

Renewal of Permits 
Just like every year, the flourishing sales of hunting weapons and ammunition led shop owners to renew their permits or obtain new ones in 2016. The number of new and renewed permits reached 155, distributed as shown in Table 1 below:

Table No. 1: Renewal or issuance of new permits for trading in hunting weapons and ammunition in 2016.