Authorities take steps to protect mangrove trees – Beira

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Authorities take steps to protect mangrove trees – Beira

7:51 CAT | 22 Jul 2016

File photo / Mangrove wood for sale

Authorities in the central Mozambican city of Beira on Tuesday set up a multi-sectoral team to confiscate timber and firewood taken from mangrove trees growing in the neighbourhood of Praia Nova.

The team is composed of staff from the Provincial Directorates of Sea, Inland Waters, and Fisheries; Agriculture and Food Security; Public Works; Correctional Services and the Maritime Administration. They were joined by members of the police.

The head of inspection for the Provincial Directorate of Sea, Inland Waters, and Fisheries, Cesar Maphossa told the daily newspaper “Noticias” that the aim is to discourage the destruction of the city’s mangroves.

He pointed out that “the mangroves are being devastated mercilessly in our country. People have already been informed about the role of the mangroves in protecting marine species. But they insist on cutting down this important resource”.

He added that to protect the environment, the government will not tolerate activity that leads to the destruction of maritime biodiversity.

However, some of the sellers of mangrove wood interviewed by “Noticias” lamented that there are no other ways for them to earn a living.

Mangroves are shrubs or small trees that grow in coastal saline water. Apart from being an important habitat supporting ecological diversity, they also store a huge amount of carbon. An article published last year in the journal Forest Ecology and Management estimated that the mangrove forests around the Zambezi River Delta hold 14 million tonnes of carbon.

In addition, the roots of the mangroves protect the coastline from erosion during high tides.

Mozambique’s Zambezi River Delta has Africa’s second largest continuous mangrove habitat.

Source: AIM