Africa-Press – Angola. The Maiombe forest, in the province of Cabinda, provided, in 2022, around 14,280 cubic meters of roundwood, that is, 73% of the total licensed quota for that period, estimated at 19,220 cubic meters.
For the 2023 forest exploration campaign, which runs from May 1 to October, the maximum exploration quota is 25,000 cubic meters, according to the head of inspection section of the provincial Directorate of the Forestry Development Institute (IDF), in Cabinda, Noel Luzolo.
He indicated that, for the current campaign/2023, 11 timber companies were registered (the same number as in the previous year), of which nine (9) benefited from licenses that were revalidated for the current season.
Conditions for this forestry campaign/2023
According to Noel Luzolo, the IDF started receiving the candidates’ files in November 2022 and inspections have already been carried out in the exploration areas, as well as the financial assessment and consequent revalidation of the licenses according to the remaining balances of the previous campaign, which allows companies to explore smoothly in this campaign/2023.
As for the definitions of the areas to be explored, Noel Luzolo underlined that the target ranges from 500 to 1,000 square meters, depending on the capacity of each company.
Conditions required for exploitation.
The IDF regulation (72/73) provides that every company in the timber sector must meet the technical, human and administrative conditions to be qualified for this activity of logging.
It consists of having a Skider-type machine, loader, office, social and environmental impact additions as well as a van that allows the transport of workers to the cutting areas and vice versa.
Lack of inspectors endangers reserve areas
Noel Luzolo defends the urgent need to hire a considerable number of inspectors to face the fight against illegal exploitation in forest reserve areas and in criminal actions involving the indiscriminate slaughter of endangered species.
“We have only 12 inspectors, four of whom are permanent and eight (8) collaborators – an insignificant number and very small for the size of the forest that the province boasts and thus to stop the illegal exploitation of prospectors”, he warned.
Export
Without advancing the revenues collected in the export of wood during the year 2022, Noel Luzolo, indicated that, the IDF registered the export to Europe and Asia of 3,725 cubic meters of wood in blocks, shortcuts and slats.
Portugal, Denmark, France, Spain, Belgium (Europe) and Vietnam (Asia) are the main consumers of wood from Cabinda.
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