Let’s step up the fight against illegal logging - Adu

An appeal has been made to stakeholders in the timber sector to act together to check illegal logging and the continued degradation of the country’s forest cover.

Mr Gustav Alexander Adu of the Kumasi Wood Cluster (KWC), said it is important for all to accept to take responsibility for the sustainable management of the forest and its resources.

He said this when addressing a day’s sensitization workshop held for selected journalists at the Royal Lamerta Hotel in Kumasi.

It was organized by the Small and Medium Size Forest Enterprises (SMFE’s) as part of the drive to create awareness about the dangers of deforestation.

Mr Adu said, the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) signed between Ghana and the European Union (EU) would significantly improve transparency and accountability in the timber export trade.

He said it would ensure that timber and wood products imported into the EU from Ghana have been legally acquired, harvested, transported and exported in compliance with the legal requirements.

He said by signing on to the pact, it has become binding to trade only in timber products that could be verified through a wood tracking system and this would undoubtedly help to reduce unlawful cutting down of timber and forest depletion.

Mr Amoah Boakye, Programme Coordinator at the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), who spoke on “forest certification and the role of the media”, expressed worry about the destruction of the forest through uncontrolled logging, wildfires and farming activities, adding that, the Forest Management Certification is meant to precisely tackle this and halt the rapid decline.

He called on the media to give priority to issues bothering on the protection of the forest - highlighting and educating the people on forest laws, certification standards and good governance.

Mrs Betty Boante Abayie, the KWC’s Project Assistant for Field Support and Monitoring, asked the forest fringe communities to be bold and report any unlawful activities in the forests for appropriate action.**