Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambican Attorney General said the country will move away from “inconsequential speeches” and move forward with punitive measures against rangers involved in deforestation and illegal logging.
“We are already moving away from inconsequential speeches and toward holding those colleagues who break the law accountable. They have a special duty to prevent this from happening, but on the contrary, they are the very people involved in these acts, so we cannot continue to passively watch this type of behaviour,” said the Attorney General of the Republic of Mozambique, Américo Letela, quoted by the media.
Letela was speaking in Gaza province, in the south of the country, during a meeting with managers of national parks and conservation areas, members of the provincial government, magistrates and rangers, to discuss deforestation and illegal exploitation of forest resources, particularly in that province.
“We will take concrete action with our fellow rangers. So, colleagues, we would like to ask that you pay a little more attention to these aspects. It won’t look good to have lawsuits against our colleagues,” said Américo Letelea
Mozambique has imposed 650 fines this year for illegal exploitation of forest products and wildlife, amounting to almost one million euros, and suspended eight mining companies for environmental damage, the government announced on May 28.
Mozambique’s Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Fisheries, Roberto Mito Albino, stated at the time that the deployment of inspectors at all land borders and increased port surveillance, including the addition of mobile brigades, allowed the state to seize at least 1,700 cubic meters of roundwood this year.
Also seized were 147 cubic meters of various species of forbidden timber, 6,670 bags of charcoal, 211 mats of stakes, and 17 mats of firewood, a total value of 71 million meticais (€980,000).
Lusa reported on March 21 that the Mozambican government plans to hire 750 inspectors in 2026 for ports, border posts, and conservation areas to strengthen surveillance and prevent deforestation and illegal exploitation of forest resources.
Deforestation in Mozambique affected 875,453 hectares in four years, although it declined in 2022, mainly in the provinces of Niassa and Zambézia, according to statistical data collected by Lusa and released last October.
According to a report by the National Institute of Statistics, with data from 2019 to 2022, deforestation – of various types of forest – decreased 31% in that last year compared to the previous year, to 209,464 hectares.
Deforestation peaked in 2021, at 303,689 hectares, including 264,999 hectares of semi-deciduous (tropical) forest, 29,258 hectares of semi-evergreen forest, and 99 hectares of mangrove, among others.
In 2019, deforestation in Mozambique affected 199,910 hectares, and in 2020, a total of 242,390 hectares. During this four-year period recorded by the INE, the provinces of Niassa and Zambézia alone accounted for deforestation of 180,279 and 167,367 hectares, respectively.
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