The Abu Rami family, like many others, used to visit Tyre’s sandy beach when summer arrived. But this year, they were shocked to find that in the usual spot—next to another beach tent in the remaining open area—a fence made of iron mesh had been erected, blocking access to the public sandy beach from every angle.
Abu Rami says: “The fence stretches over a large area, and I can’t find a passage to reach the beach. Why was it put up?” He adds: “What’s written on it doesn’t clarify the reason for its existence.” Similar questions were raised by other citizens standing in front of the fence, with some expressing disapproval and others speculating about a possible project. Some even wondered whether there might be something inside that needed protection.
What’s Behind the Fence
Silat Wassel reached out to Tyre’s Deputy Mayor, Salah Sabrawi, who responded that the fenced area encloses a protected zone on the sandy beach. The reserve’s director, Dr. Ali Badr Al-Din, confirmed that there is no project or program underway despite rumors, but rather a Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) for sea turtles.
Badr Al-Din explained: “Since 2012, we have been classified as the ‘Tyre Coast Nature Reserve’ by the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas in the Mediterranean. We also have an Important Bird Area (IBA) designation.”
He added that this area is significant for wetlands and serves as an important stop for migratory birds, along with the Ras Al-Ain ponds, which are classified by the Ministry of Tourism as a national heritage site. “All our activities in the reserve aim to preserve these classifications,” he said. “Any activity related to sea turtles along the Lebanese coast—such as monitoring their movement and activity—falls under our responsibility according to the Ministry of Environment.”
Badr Al-Din also noted: “People can still visit the beach. In fact, many enter the fenced area today as if the fence doesn’t even exist.”
A Reserve Surrounded by a Fence
As for the legal basis for establishing the reserve, Dr. Badr Al-Din explains that it was created under Law 708/1998, and the fence surrounds part of the reserve—specifically the scientific zone, where studies are conducted on marine and terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity.
Badr Al-Din says: “The fence was installed after obtaining permission from the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Ministry of Interior. Its purpose is to maintain ecological balance, especially since we have a center for the care of sea turtles. Our goal is to create harmony between nature and humans, which makes it necessary to close off this area with the fence.”
However, the reserve extends far beyond the fenced area, and citizens can still access other parts of the beach. Badr Al-Din confirms that Law 708/1998 divided the reserve into three sections, in addition to the scientific zone: an open tourist area accessible to the public, and an agricultural area known for the “Ras Al-Ain ponds.” These ponds date back to the Roman, Phoenician, and Ottoman eras, and are significant as a natural underground freshwater source, under natural pressure, supplying many municipalities in Tyre as well as agricultural lands.
He adds that rethinking how beach tents are organized is important to allow citizens more space to access and sit on the shore. The limited area caused by the fence has led some people to climb over it and enter the part of the reserve that its management is working to protect.
The Reserve and the Role of Municipalities
Badr Al-Din explains: “By law, the municipality can invest, and 35% of the revenues go to the reserve, providing jobs for a large number of citizens. We enforce certain regulations regarding the tents, such as banning lighting and pollution, to preserve biodiversity.”
He adds: “Every year, we obtain approval from the Ministry of Environment after submitting documents for 49 tents, in addition to two tents dedicated to rescue operations. We follow the law, and the mayor of Tyre is also keen on that. We have an awareness center, and recently we launched the sea turtle season. At this time of year, turtles can be seen on the beach because it’s sandy—and Tyre Beach is the longest sandy beach in Lebanon (sandy beaches make up 20% of Lebanon’s coastline, while the rest is rocky). We also make sure to involve the local community, such as the fishermen’s cooperative, farmers’ cooperative, and the owners of tents, restaurants, hotels, and municipalities, in developing the management plan that runs from 2023 to 2028.”
Awareness activities are also organized with schools, and cooperation with the municipality ensures that laws are enforced on the ground. Badr Al-Din adds: “This year, the tents were set up earlier than last year, which was due to the municipality’s insistence.”
In an interview with Sila Wasl, lawyer Ali Abbas discussed the municipality’s role and its authority in this regard.
He explained that, according to the Municipalities Law, a municipality can support, assist, and protect nature reserves within its jurisdiction, in coordination with the reserve’s management, to prevent any action that might pose a threat to the protected area. Therefore, the reserve’s collaboration with the municipality is based on the Municipalities Law, especially since one of the mayor’s duties is to safeguard the environment. When it comes to a natural reserve, seeking assistance from the municipal police is only natural. Abbas also noted that the 1977 Municipalities Law grants the mayor, as the executive authority, the power to carry out this role.
Narrow Beach and Public Discontent
Many Tyre residents are voicing concerns over the expected heavy crowding at the beach this year. The sandy beach of Tyre serves as a crucial escape during extreme heat, but the reduced open space may discourage visitors—especially those who can’t afford to rent a table from the seaside tents, given the high prices.
Mohammad Ayoub, director of Nahnoo Association, pointed to two main reasons for the shrinking public space: the influx of displaced people, and encroachments on public maritime property, which should be removed to distribute beachgoers across other areas and ease the pressure on Tyre Beach.
Regarding biodiversity management within the reserve, Ayoub said it is sometimes done in cooperation with a university and that this part poses no issue.
However, on the matter of the tents along the beach—also part of the reserve—he added: “They originally did not obtain permission from the Ministry of Public Works, and most likely these tents are in violation of the reserve’s regulations.”
Regardless of the legitimacy of protecting the nature reserve, it is important to reconsider how the beach tents are organized in order to allow citizens space to access and sit on the beach. The narrow space caused by the fence has pushed people to bypass it and enter the area the reserve’s management is trying to protect.
This raises a valid question: the area where the seaside tents are set up is also part of the reserve, yet their spread leaves no public space for people to sit in—especially after the remaining area was closed off by the fence.
