Valentin Sălăgeanu, forest campaign coordinator of Greenpeace Romania: „We wish to underline the fact that this data does not offer a complete image of the real scale of the phenomenon in the entire country, since governmental reports indicate an average of 8.8 million cubic meters of illegally extracted timber each year[1]. The registered volume, following the investigations carried out by respective authorities, is only covering a fraction of the aforementioned figure.”
The counties with the highest number of recorded illegal logging cases
The counties that registered the highest numbers of illegal logging cases are: Argeș 5,851 cases (accounts for 12.85% of the total cases at national level), Bacău 3,538 cases (7.77%) and Mureș with 3,351 cases (7.36%). Argeș county also registered the highest number of identified illegal logging cases during 2009-2011, with almost 6,500 cases.
This evolution can be explained by the authorities’ increased efficiency in tackling forest crime, but it can also be caused by the ever increasing illegal logging phenomena.
Forest loss rate stays the same – 3 ha/hour
According to a new research made by Greenpeace[2] regarding the forest cover in Romania, the forest loss rate is maintaining at an alarming rate of 3 ha/hour. The result of the previous research, a map released in 2012, was indicating the same rate.
More wood is being illegally felled –Cluj, Alba and Maramureș counties have the highest rate of timber theft
At national level the authorities have identified a quantity of 1,011,892 cubic meters of timber, associated to the 45,509 cases of illegal logging - that is 22 cubic meters/case. This represents a significant increase from 120,836 cubic meters in 2012 and 452,842 cubic meters in 2009-2011. A great inconsistency is noticeable if comparing the number of illegal logging cases and the associated volume extracted from each county.
Therefore, even though in Cluj, Alba and Maramureș fewer cases of illegal logging were registered compared to other counties, they recorded the biggest average volume of illegally cut timber.
78% of the total illegally cut timber in 2013 and 2014 was registered in three counties: Cluj, Alba and Maramureș. Cluj registered 37% of the total volume, Alba, 23% and Maramureș 18%. This indicates that the authorities need to design, develop and implement additional control and illegal logging prevention measures.
As far as the financial damage caused by illegal logging is concerned, the total value registered nationally in 2013 and 2014 was of approximately 52.1 million euros. Consequently, Cluj, Alba and Maramureș registered the highest values: 15,837 euros/case in Alba, 11,900 euros/case in Cluj and 6,143 euros/case in Maramures.
From the total registered financial damage in 2013 and 2014, Cluj county registered 34%, Alba 28% and Maramureș 16%, the three counties summing up 79% of the caused damage.
[1] According to the emergency ordinance no. 32/2015 regarding the set-up of Forest Guards