The high number of logs and timber being smuggled to Zanzibar has caught the attention of the Tanzania Forest Service (TFS), which is now considering deployment of its officers to join forces with their Isles counterparts (KMKM).
Former Chief Executive Officer of TFS Juma Mgoo exclusively
informed the ‘Guardian’ about the proposed intervention to involve
forest officers from both sides of the union to curb the menace.
“Although forestry services are not part of the union matters, the
need for concerted efforts to enforce collective protection of national
forest reserves cannot be overstated. We need to work together to make
sure that control measures taken in the mainland are reflected in
Zanzibar accordingly,” explained Mgoo.
However, the forestry chief, whose appointment was revoked by
minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Prof Jumanne Maghembe some 20
minutes later after this interview, does not play down the ardours task
ahead.
“Night sea routes by sailors enable ferrying of huge volumes of
timber and logs to Zanzibar. Efforts to exercise control started some
years back but met some concealed resistance. Some of our colleagues
were not cooperative enough to cut off the illegal supply,” Mgoo
explained.
Investigation from the Isles further revealed that the Zanzibar
Department of Forestry and Non-Renewable Resources was expected to give
the necessary support to strengthen interception of dozens of night
movers delivering smuggled wood at the expense of the government
revenue.
Without giving more details, Mgoo said after his office realized
that the situation was heading for the worse-case scenario, whereby hard
wood especially mninga, msandali and mangrove poles were exceedingly
being ferried to Zanzibar, a related Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
was signed towards end of last year to curtail the unlawful operations.
Again, he recalled what was termed as Zanzibar Declaration on
Illegal Trade in Timber and Forest Products signed in Durban South
Africa in September 2015 during the 14th World Forestry Congress.
The meeting focused on the need for a collective combat of illegal
trade in timber and logs. Delegates came from countries facing a similar
situation with forest reserves being lost in large quantities.
Countries represented to the meeting and also signed the document
included Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Uganda and Mozambique. Zanzibar
was represented by Sheha Idrisa Hamdan, Director Zanzibar Department of
Forestry, and Non- Renewable Resources
Commenting on the situation, the former Director of Forest and
beekeeping in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Felician
Kilahama said protection of forest reserves was not optional but rather
a matter of everyone’s obligation.
“The Eastern African Coastal Forests (Kenya, Tanzania and
Mozambique) have been recognized as a distinct Global Hotspot for the
Conservation of Biodiversity on account of high levels of both plants
and several animal species. When it comes to control measures, action
should be serious and emphatic. It is not a matter of pleasing somebody.
We can see obvious effects of climate change. Any negligence inclined
to exacerbate the situation should meet a strong reaction,” Kilahama
said.
The discovery of natural gas, said Kilahama, is a major consolation likely to lessen pressure constantly applied of the forest.
“The forestry sector supplies more than 90 per cent of the
country’s energy resources (charcoal and firewood) and about 75 per cent
of the country’s construction materials. If this is allowed to continue
the entire country will turn to a desert. Both sides of the union need
to establish a common ground to ‘rescue’ the natural vegetation,” he
concluded.
According to the National Forestry Resources Monitoring and
Assessment (NAFORMA) over 30 per ce3nt of the illegal wood cutting is
taking place in protected forest areas.
Edmond Mbwilo who is a researcher from the Tanzania Wildlife
Research Institute (TAWIRI) supported the minister for Natural Resources
and Tourism, Prof Jumanne Maghembe for affirmative action taken to
restore discipline in protection of the wildlife and forest reserves.
“Illegal tree logging is rampant. It is being driven by a very high
demand for specific tree species. In the North and South Pare Mountain
forest blocks, camphor type of wood is targeted,” Mbwilo revealed.
He added, in the west (Kigoma, Rukwa, Katavi and Tabora regions,
the Miombo woodlands have been overharvested to the extent that most of
the dominant miombo species are now extinct.
In the Southern regions (Lindi and Mtwara, including forests in
Bagamoyo, Kisarawe, Mkuranga and Rufiji Districts in the Coast region as
well as those in Handeni, Kilindi, Mkinga and Muheza districts in Tanga
region, most of the valuable timber species - including mpingo, mkongo,
mninga-jangwa, misekeseke, mtondoro and mkuruti have been targeted.
“You can see how tough the battle is. However, with the high degree
of commitment by the government in protection of the resources, changes
will be noticed very soon,” Mbwilo remarked.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
Post a Comment