Law No. 14 of 2023 regulating Wild Hunting.

This Law, comprising 29 articles, seeks to protect and sustain bird and wild animal species, safeguard endangered species, and regulate terrestrial hunting in line with environmental standards, regulatory frameworks, and legal controls. Hunting is prohibited without obtaining both a hunting license and carrying and possessing a hunting weapon. Article 3 establishes at the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform the Central Council for Wild Hunting, which is entrusted with the following functions (i) supervising and monitoring the implementation of the Law; (ii) setting the general foundations and guiding principles for terrestrial hunting to ensure the conservation of birds and wild animals and the maintenance of ecological balance; (iii) proposing legislative measures related to wild hunting; (iv) reviewing proposals submitted in this field and taking appropriate decisions; (v) regulating procedures for the issuance of terrestrial hunting licenses; (vi) determining which species of birds and wild animals may or may not be hunted, as well as specifying hunting seasons and methods, in accordance with relevant international agreements to which the Syrian Arab Republic is a party; and (vii) examining annual reports on hunting plans and the status of terrestrial hunting, and adopting the necessary decisions. It is also established a Hunting Sub-Council aimed at (i) implementing the provisions of this Law; (ii) implementing the decisions and instructions issued by the Council; (iii) examining all matters submitted to it concerning wild hunting and submitting appropriate proposals to the Council; (iv) proposing what it deems appropriate with regard to the regulation and monitoring of wild hunting, in a manner that ensures the conservation of birds, wild animals, and ecological balance; (v) reviewing the sub-annual reports prepared on hunting plans and the status of terrestrial hunting. Article 7 regulates wild hunting by specifying the permitted methods and conditions. Articles 8 and 9 prohibit certain hunting methods and locations.
The Law also establishes that (i) hunting is permitted using firearms and other means authorized by the Council, while the use of falcons, eagles, and hawks is subject to special rules; (ii) the capture of birds and wild animals is allowed for breeding, reproduction, scientific research, or tagging purposes, subject to approval by the Council; (iii) the detention or transport of live game is prohibited except for these purposes and with prior authorization from the Sub-Council; (iv) hunting is prohibited using poisons, gases, electric devices, or other banned means, as well as by pursuing game with motor vehicles or motorbikes; (v) hunting is prohibited within populated areas, including cities, towns, villages, natural reserves, parks, and surrounding buffer zones, as well as near critical infrastructure such as electricity networks, telecommunications facilities, and oil and gas installations; (vi) hunting near military sites is prohibited without prior authorization from the Ministry of Defense; (vii) any live game involved in a violation shall be immediately released into suitable natural habitats by authorized officers, and this shall be recorded in an official report; (viii) the trade in live or dead game, or their parts, whether resident or migratory, is prohibited unless otherwise determined by the Council, while the import and export of hatching eggs, chicks, and young wild animals require prior approval from the Ministry; (ix) the Council determines the species that may be hunted, while the Sub-Council sets limits on the number of animals that may be taken per hunting trip and those that may be bred and raised for hunting purposes; (x) hunting seasons, licensing, and penalties are regulated to ensure the proper management of wildlife resources, with the hunting season running annually from September 1 to February 15 and hunting permitted only during daylight hours; (xi) hunting licenses are issued annually by the Ministry, subject to fees and the requirement of a valid firearm permit; (xii) hunting is permitted on state land or private property with the owner’s consent; and (xiii) the Ministry supports training programs on hunting and biodiversity protection, while private farms for breeding and hunting certain wildlife species may be licensed under specific conditions. The Law establishes penalties for violations.