Mozambique: Authorities seize 204 bags of charcoal bound for South Africa

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Mozambique: Authorities seize 204 bags of charcoal bound for South Africa

3:01 CAT | 26 Mar 2025

Photo: Notícias

Authorities have seized 204 bags of charcoal bound for South Africa at Ressano Garcia railway station in Maputo province, in an operation combatting the illegal exploitation of natural resources, the government announced yesterday.

In a press release, the Mozambican Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries indicated that the forestry product was seized on 21 March at one of the points considered a “trafficking route” for the illegal exploitation of forestry products, and that the police authorities are investigating those involved.

Lusa reported on March 21 that the Mozambican government plans to hire 750 inspectors in 2026 for ports, border posts and conservation areas, to reinforce monitoring and prevent deforestation and illegal exploitation of forest resources.

“An additional 750 inspectors are planned and these 750 are not only for ports and borders, but to increase our capacity at logging sites, to increase our capacity in conservation areas, which have been the preferred place now, because we have virgin forests, we have considerable timber and these 750 are to ensure that we can carry out inspections in these areas,” said the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Emília Fumo.

According to Fumol, another 1,000 inspectors hired last year have now started to reinforce control at border posts, ports and conservation areas, indicating that it is necessary to allocate more agents “in the districts and provinces” where there is more illegal exploitation.

Deforestation in Mozambique affected 875,453 hectares in four years, although it declined in 2022, mainly affecting 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, gathering data from 2019 to 2022, in that last year deforestation of various types of forest fell by 31% compared to the previous year, to 209,464 hectares.

The peak of deforestation was recorded in 2021, with 303,689 hectares, of which (among others) 264,999 hectares were semi-deciduous (tropical) forest, 29,258 hectares were semi-evergreen forest and 99 hectares were mangroves.

In 2019, deforestation in Mozambique affected 199,910 hectares and in 2020 a total of 242,390 hectares.

In this four-year period recorded by the INE, the provinces of Niassa, in the north of the country, and Zambézia, in the centre, alone accounted for deforestation of 180,279 and 167,367 hectares, respectively.

Source: Lusa