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hi all,

I am just wondering what is fishing like in and around Beirut? I am preparing things to bring with me for my relocation to Beirut, so am not sure how much fishing gear I should pack, and what sort of fishing gear (lure fishing? bait fishing?)

I have been told two different versions, some say the seafloor is pretty barren around Beirut as it is still recovering from the rubbish crisis from a few year back and there is nothing to catch, other say fishing is pretty good and you can catch all kinds of things from shore.

My aim is not catch and eat, I mean, if I do catch a meaty fish of course I would like to eat it, but would be pretty happy to just catch and release.

What sort of fishing style works best over there? Should I pack more bait fishing gear or lure fishing (my preferred style) gear?

Are there fishing charters that I can join in Beirut to do a bit of offshore fishing (jigging and bottom fishing)? How deep does the water get say 2km from the shoreline? Will it cost a lot?

I am even thinking about getting a fishing kayak, but am not sure if there is anywhere to launch it in Beirut (are there any public boat ramps?)

Should I be concerned about pollutants in the water if I were to eat the fish I catch?

I have seen some Youtube videos of Lebanese fishermen pulling up big bluefin tunas by jigging not far from the shore, very tempting! But I cannot find any fishing information online about Beirut.

Thanks!!!
I would not fish near Beirut, nor Tripoli, or any coastal city for that matter. These cities dump part of their sewers into the sea. You can smell it if you go for a walk at Ramlet-el-Bayda in Beirut or el Mina in Tripoli.

However I have seen people fish on Raouché which is also in Beirut.

I would suggest Batroun or Chekka which are 1/2 hour to 1 hour to the North of Beirut.

Traditionally it seems that people here go line fishing. I can't help you much with the specifics. I went fishing once or twice in Tabarja (not far to the North of Beirut), close to a leisure port. In a few hours we just caught a pathetic handful of small fish. We had no clue.

There are fishing boats as well, you can see them at night. I think they use nets.

I have also heard people talk about harpoon fishing but I have even less of a clue about that.

The few times I went diving, I just saw a few banks of small or medium sized fish, nothing I would want to catch with a harpoon.
rolf wroteI would not fish near Beirut, nor Tripoli, or any coastal city for that matter. These cities dump part of their sewers into the sea. You can smell it if you go for a walk at Ramlet-el-Bayda in Beirut or el Mina in Tripoli.

However I have seen people fish on Raouché which is also in Beirut.

I would suggest Batroun or Chekka which are 1/2 hour to 1 hour to the North of Beirut.

Traditionally it seems that people here go line fishing. I can't help you much with the specifics. I went fishing once or twice in Tabarja (not far to the North of Beirut), close to a leisure port. In a few hours we just caught a pathetic handful of small fish. We had no clue.

There are fishing boats as well, you can see them at night. I think they use nets.

I have also heard people talk about harpoon fishing but I have even less of a clue about that.

The few times I went diving, I just saw a few banks of small or medium sized fish, nothing I would want to catch with a harpoon.
Many thanks for sharing your experience. Fishing sounds pretty dismal.

Perhaps I should just gave up the idea of fishing in the Med and stop stockpiling fishing gear... =(
Sea in Lebanon is "permanently polluted" from Sidon to Tripoli. You'd need to go far for clean water.
purpleradish wrote Many thanks for sharing your experience. Fishing sounds pretty dismal.

Perhaps I should just gave up the idea of fishing in the Med and stop stockpiling fishing gear... =(
You can definitely fish in the Med. I'm just saying, if you want to do line fishing I think you should get some advice from someone you has had success and some knowledge, not me!

I think it's mostly about finding a good spot for catching fish, not just some random place.
For line fishing, I have seen people catch fish, mostly small fish, but in worthy quantities.
There is a deep drop off right off the coast in and around beirut. The issue is that many of the reefs which used to harbor many of the mid and larger fish are gone due to the sea reclamation projects.. There have been some attempts to introduce some artificial reefs to bring back some of the sea life, but it will take time. Back to the OP, the best places to fish in Lebanon are going to be south of the Litani river which is roughly an hour or so south of Beirut. The river is a major source of pollution which makes it way north. There are also some fresh water fishing spots to get some trout and other fish, but others can tell you more specifics.