Thursday, May 28, 2015

Tanzania-Kenya move to check Illegal Timber Trade


On 24th March 2015, a new forest cooperation agreement was signed between Kenya and Tanzania, which set to improve the effectiveness of measures to reduce rampant illegal logging and timber trade across the border.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Kenya Forest Service and the Tanzania Forest Service outlines cooperative measures to help improve the management of critical natural resources such as forests in the two countries.

Speaking in Arusha, Tanzania during the signing ceremony for the MOU, the Chief Executive of Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) Mr. Juma S. Mgoo noted that the implementation of the MOU would, over the next five-years, focus on trans-boundary collaboration on law enforcement to reduce illegal trade in forest resources such as timber.

“This is the beginning and we hope that in five years, all the areas identified by the MOU will be fully implemented.  We aim to focus on undertaking law enforcement jointly and exchanging information of trade and harvesting operations between both countries. The purpose of this is to ensure that there is compliance on both sides where traders in Tanzania and Kenya comply with laws and regulations regarding the management and utilization of forest resources so that they are not depleted.” said Mr. Mgoo

The Director of Kenya Forest Services Emilio Mugo noted that the implementation of the MOU would help manage forest resources of both countries sustainably.

“This MOU is an effort to manage our forest resources in a more sustainable manner together with our counterparts in Tanzania. We have together agreed to coordinate our monitoring and law enforcement activities and share information regarding trade in forest products along with taping into the knowledge base of forest related products available in both our countries.”

The MOU is the result of a years’ work by the signatories, WWF and TRAFFIC, which facilitated exchange visits and organized several meetings. It is also expected to open the doors for greater cooperation and exchange of experience in issues such as coordination of monitoring and law enforcement, cross-border information sharing and sharing of expertise on forest products.

“We expect that the signing of this MOU will benefit the people of Kenya and Tanzania who deserve increased access to benefits from forest resources which are currently absorbed by illegal activities run by a very small group of people,” said Isaac Malugu, WWF Tanzania’s Forest Programme Coordinator. 

Over time, concern has been growing over the expansion of illegal trade in forest products across the borders between Tanzania and Kenya.  Between May and October 2011, a study carried out by the East Africa Wildlife Society in partnership with the Tanzania Natural Resources Forum titled, The Trade in Forest Products Between Tanzania and Kenya revealed that Tanzania might have lost revenues estimated at USD 8.33 million annually due to inaccurate recording of figures and volumes of forest products, under-valuation of timber and poles, illegal charcoal business and illegal harvesting and sales of logs moving across boarders.


The same study revealed that the poorly regulated trade in forest products between Kenya and Tanzania only amounted to a loss of USD 10,000 annually to Kenya.  The study also established that considerable movement of timber and other forest related products across the border is carried out at the border points of Horohoro/Lunga Lunga, Holili/Taveta and Namanga but with numerous illegal crossing points present in both Kenya and Tanzania.

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