Forest crime: Nearly 12,000 reports recorded annually

Hibapress
Some 12,000 reports of forest offenses on average are recorded annually in Morocco, the director general of the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF), Abderrahim Houmy, revealed on Monday.
Speaking at the opening of a study day on the fight against forest crimes, held at the Royal Police Institute (IRP) of Kenitra, Mr. Houmy indicated that the annual average of reports of forest crimes amounts to 12,000 minutes, transmitted to various courts in the Kingdom, noting that the concerted efforts and coordination on the ground between the external services of the ANEF and the various stakeholders, in particular the DGSN, have contributed to the protection of heritage forestry and wildlife.
In this regard, he emphasized the evolution of methods of perpetrating forest crimes, hence the need to adapt the means of dealing with them, through the strengthening of coordination and exchange experiences and data between ANEF and the DGSN, with a view to promoting and improving the protection of national forest heritage.
The CEO of ANEF recalled that the Agency has a forest police force made up, in addition to members of the judicial police, of engineers and water and forest technicians who are legally authorized to report and repress crimes. foresters, as well as to draw up reports on the matter.
Mr. Houmy highlighted, on this occasion, the new strategy “Forests of Morocco 2020-2030”, launched on February 13, 2020 by King Mohammed VI, citing among the main axes of this strategy, the institutional reform of the sector, through the creation of the ANEF in accordance with Law No. 52.20, and legislative reform through the updating of the legal texts in force relating to the management of the national forest heritage.
He explained, in this sense, that the Agency looked into the development of an important legal text, in this case bill n°21.22 relating to the preservation of forests and their sustainable development, considering that this project will have a significant impact on the sustainable development of the national forest heritage, by regulating all methods and approaches for management and exploitation of this heritage as a natural wealth whose conservation responsibility falls to all public administrations and institutions .
He underlined, in this regard, that Morocco has a forest heritage of approximately 9 million hectares, which plays an important role ecologically, socially and economically.
The study day, organized jointly by the DGSN and the ANEF, highlights the efforts of the DGSN in the fight against forest crime, including the program of presentations on the management of forest heritage, in addition of the legal framework and the different types of forest crimes.