Mozambique: Illegal exploitation of natural resources the most frequent environmental crime recorded in Cabo Delgado – Watch

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Mozambique: Illegal exploitation of natural resources the most frequent environmental crime recorded in Cabo Delgado – Watch

2:46 CAT | 26 Aug 2025

Screengrab: Miramar

Cabo Delgado recorded 188 environmental crimes in the first half of this year, said the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

The most frequent type of crime is the illegal exploitation of natural resources.

The Chief Prosecutor of the Cabo Delgado Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, Gilroy Fazenda, on Thursday (21-08) revealed that 188 criminal cases of an environmental nature were processed in the province in the first half of this year, a number that worries judicial authorities because it does not reflect the true scale of the infractions plaguing the province.

Speaking to reporters during the two-day training session for 65 rangers at the Quirimbas National Park, Fazenda noted that “in 2024, 262 cases were processed throughout the province arising from environmental infractions, and this year, in the first half of the year alone, 188 criminal cases arising from environmental infractions were processed”.

Despite this, the prosecutor emphasized that the official figures do not reflect reality.

“We know that when we look at the context of the province and consider the atypical nature of the devastation of our province’s natural resources, these numbers are unrealistic. As the Prosecutor’s Office, we are quite concerned, so we believe it is necessary to instil in our inspectors the knowledge they lack, even if it’s additional knowledge so they can do their jobs better. This training, in addition to the technical component, also fosters a sense of responsibility and a sense of mission on the part of inspectors, because without them, the judicial authorities cannot carry out their work with the success they seek,” Fazenda said.

Among the most common offenses, Fazenda highlighted the illegal exploitation of the province’s resources.

“The most frequent types of crimes are those related to the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources. Most of the crimes we’re referring to here are related to the exploration and exploitation of natural resources. But there’s also illegal hunting and illegal exploitation of forest resources. Meanwhile, as I’ve already mentioned, these numbers don’t reflect the reality of the province’s criminal landscape. We are aware, and society is aware, that these crimes occur on a large scale. However, our surveillance capacity is significantly reduced for the reasons I mentioned earlier,” he stated.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the training in Quirimbas aimed to equip inspectors with technical knowledge and a greater sense of responsibility to strengthen oversight and curb the devastation of natural resources in Cabo Delgado.