Archipelago Technology (United Kingdom)

Abstract Illegal hunting of migratory birds across the Mediterranean region is a serious international conservation issue with population-level impacts. We analysed photographs posted on social media platforms to assess the bird species illegally targeted in Lebanon. During 2011–2023 we reviewed 1,844 photographs publicly posted by poachers on Facebook and Instagram. In these images we identified 212 bird species, of which 94% are legally protected. Many are species of conservation concern, with 19 listed as threatened or Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and 33% experiencing population declines in Europe. The five bird species with the most individuals illegally killed were the barn swallow Hirundo rustica, blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, European bee-eater Merops apiaster, Eurasian golden oriole Oriolus oriolus and ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana. Raptors and other large soaring birds were particularly prevalent, with 35 species of raptor (particularly the European honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus, Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, common kestrel Falco tinnunculus, short-toed snake-eagle Circaetus gallicus and Levant sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes) as well as storks, pelicans and cranes. Protected mammals were also posted as trophies, including the Near Threatened striped hyaena Hyaena hyaena. Poachers were present in 44% of photographs and were clearly identifiable 89% of the time, showing little concern about posting illegal activities on publicly accessible social media platforms. Our study is the first to use social media as a tool for assessing illegal hunting activities in Lebanon. We discuss both the use and limitations of this approach, as well as the ways in which social media can be utilized by law enforcement, to promote legal hunting or hunting alternatives and improve conservation education.

The Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus was once a common inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea. Over time, its distribution has experienced a sharp reduction, primarily attributed to various factors stemming from human activities. Known reproductive sub-populations of the species are nowadays concentrated along the coasts of Greece and Turkey. However, occasional but recurrent sightings or movements of individuals are being recorded along most of the coasts in the species ́ former distribution range within the Mediterranean Sea. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive require the establishment of monitoring programmes to obtain indicators for the Good Environmental Status of European waters. Here we present the monitoring programmes we carried out on the Endangered Mediterranean monk seal in the central Mediterranean Sea. The output of the work carried out in the central Mediterranean Sea for such a long period of time indicates the relevance of continuous monitoring systems for the monk seal as a top predator in the area. a. The species may be useful as a key species within the Marine Strategy Framework Directive for Descriptors D1 (Marine Biodiversity), D4 (Food Webs) and D10 (Marine Litter).

In the past decade, various environmental problems have emerged related to land resources. The facts show that the rate of degradation of land resources and the decline in environmental quality in Indonesia have recently increased and have not shown signs of decline. The degradation of land resources and environmental quality need to be taken seriously so that increasingly serious environmental problems can be avoided. The purpose of this study is to determine the temporal dynamics of watershed land cover in Sinjai Regency and analysed the effect of land cover changing on the in protection function index of the Sinjai watershed in the year 2013 to 2018. Research was using quantitative research. This research is closely related to the enumerative induction process (induction based on calculations). The main causes of landslides in Sinjai Regency consist of rainfall, slope, and land cover. Part of the level of potential landslides based on rainfall is divided into low classes with a range of 2000-2500 mm rainfall, areas scattered in Sinjai Bulupoddo Regency, North Sinjai, parts of North Central Sinjai Regency and Northeast Sinjai District. While the area is located in the class of landslide potential, namely in the range of rainfall 2500 mm - 3000 mm, the potential for the spread of northern Sinjai, West Sinjai, Central Sinjai Regency, Sinjai District, East, and South Sinjai.