LEBANON (Enmaeya News) - December 23, 2025
Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), launched a new initiative at Al-Aqaybeh Port to replace illegal fishing nets with legal, environmentally friendly gear.
The program aims to combat illegal fishing and promote sustainable management of fishery resources.
The launch event was attended by Engineer Abboud Fraiha, representing Agriculture Minister Dr. Nizar Hani, FAO Lebanon representative Noura Ourabah Haddad, Al-Aqaybeh Mayor Alan Aoun, local mukhtars, Habib Al-Qazzi, head of the Fishermen’s Cooperative, and representatives from local cooperatives and fishing communities.
The initiative is part of the FAO’s Fisheries and Marine Environment project, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture.
It aims to support fishermen in adhering to national regulations, protecting marine ecosystems, and improving livelihoods in coastal communities to contribute to national food security.
Under the program, local fishermen cooperated by handing over illegal nets over several days. These nets were destroyed and recycled according to environmental standards, and participants received legal fishing nets compliant with Lebanese regulations.
Women played a key role in the project as trainers and specialists, preparing and distributing the new nets, highlighting the initiative’s socio-economic dimension.
The project also encourages sustainable fishing practices, including the use of longlines and the provision of hooks and lines to minimize environmental impacts on fish stocks.
Speaking at the event, Freiha emphasized that regulating and modernizing fishing tools is not only a regulatory measure but a strategic choice to protect fishers’ rights and ensure the sector’s sustainability for future generations.
“Al-Aqaybeh Port serves as a pilot site, with plans to gradually expand the program to other Lebanese ports under a national vision aligned with international standards,” he said.
FAO representative Haddad noted that the initiative promotes environmental stewardship and community engagement, combining net replacement, monitoring patrols, and capacity-building activities to ensure long-term compliance and sustainable fishing practices.
Twenty fishers in Al-Aqaybeh received legal, environmentally friendly nets after 451 illegal nets were collected and recycled. The program will continue tomorrow in Tyre, benefiting over 100 fishers with additional sustainable gear.
