Despite the perennial warnings that it’s necessary to introduce order when it comes to forest management in Montenegro, deforestation seems to continue and it’s like there are almost no sanctions against perpetrators. In a statement for the CdM portal, the executive director of the NGO ‘Green Home’, Azra Vukovic, assesses that Montenegro’s approach to solving this issue is extremely unserious and unprofessional. According to her, representatives of the government in this area are not able to apply the views they’re constantly presenting to the public.
She also says Montenegro citizens, particularly from the north of the country, constantly send messages and call them to report on deforestation.
“We’re particularly worried about the reports on deforestation approved by the state, i.e. competent bodies, suggesting that it’s in defiance of sustainable forest management, environmental protection or the needs of residents who live there or possess land in the vicinity of mentioned sites,” Ms Vukovic points out.
Azra Vukovic
Earlier, the media reported that timber smuggling was taking place over the border of Montenegro with Kosovo as competent bodies didn’t control it regularly.
“A disordered system of forest management in Montenegro definitely provides space for illegal activities referring to illegal timber trafficking through the borders of our country,” she notes.
As Ms Vukovic says, the NGO Green Home has been underlining the need for regulating the area of forest management in order to preserve this natural resource.
The new Forest Law was adopted last year and its application should have started on 1 January.
“Over the past days, the public could hear the views that we are completely unprepared to apply this law and that its application should be delayed. The adoption of such an important systemic law, that those who adopted it don’t even want to try to apply, points to an unserious both approach and actions in this area,” Ms Vukovic concludes.
