Friday, March 29, 2024

Ghana Forestry Commission Denies Illegal Logging

Share

By Thomas Naadi

Ghana’s forestry commission has denied allegations that they supporting the illegal rosewood trade.

A report by the Environmental Investigation Agency’s (EIA) said that, in the past seven years, some six million rosewood trees had been cut down for illegal export to China.

Rosewood is one of the endangered tree species found in northern and parts of central Ghana.

The report said that the felling of the rare trees had continued despite a ban which was put in place in 2013. It blamed corrupt government officials for issuing illegal documents.

In a statement released on Thursday, the forestry commission said the claims were false and the former executive director of wildlife division Nana Kofi Adu-Nsiah denied any wrongdoing.

The forestry commission said that the ban was lifted during certain periods over the last six years.

They also said some 200,000 trees had been cut down and not six million as reported by the EIA.

The EIA has called for a stop to the trade of rosewood and for China to comply with international agreements on endangered species. Read the original article on BBC News

Read more

Related News