A September research of WWF-Bulgaria tried to insert numbers behind the mass feeling on the illegal logging of Bulgarian forests. These numbers did cause concern. The annual volume of illegal logging reaches ¼ of the 7 million cubic meters of wood material logged. A later research of another environmental organization – the Blue Planet, which used drone photos, doubled the bad numbers. To say nothing on the heavy blow on natural balance across mountains and the consequences, as far as water supplies, soil erosion and climate are concerned…

We lived to see the serious will of a government to deal with it all. The concrete measures from the summer, prepared by the caretaker government with the cooperation of non-governmental organizations, were adopted by the current cabinet as well. Those are related mainly to better control. 173 mobile control units are to be created. Thus logging in an area will be monitored by foresters from another one, in order for local corruption to be avoided. An e-ticket will be issued for the concrete logging and all the logs will have plastic plates with ID codes. A unified information system will be established by July 2015, able to track down the road of timber from the logging to the warehouse, including the processing, Agriculture Minister Desislava Taneva said:

“We hail these steps,” said for Radio Bulgaria Mrs. Neli Doncheva, head of the Forests Program with WWF – Bulgaria. “However, we think more can be done and we hope that it will be done. Plastic control panels can be placed on large logs only. They cannot seize firewood and technological wood, aimed at the production of paper. Other solutions should be sought for this type of illegal logging, which is widespread across Bulgaria.”

The problem with the large-scale logging of private forests in this country appears to be the most serious one over the past years. It is an issue that has to be closely monitored as well, the environmentalist goes on to say. Taking reliable inventory of wooden stocks is the next step expected, as no such thing has been done for a long time. The volume has been underestimated so far due to incorrect methods or on purpose, as the difference in calculations remains in the grey sector. Environmentalists insist biologists to take part in the inventory process, besides foresters, outlining forest areas with great environmental value, where logging is not reasonable. Bulgaria’s forests are among the few in Europe left, where still large spots with century-old virgin trees can be found, providing shelter to priceless biodiversity.

The issue with illegal logging is not only domestic, but also an EU one, Neli Doncheva underlines:

“Bulgaria must implement the IUTR 995 European regulation, which does not allow illegal timber to the market. The taking of measures for timber control along the whole chain – from logging to the final consumer is more than urgent.”

The environmental community has voted its confidence to the current Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Prof. Georgi Kostov, who is a forester, for the decisive battle against illegal logging in Bulgaria’s forests. They all admit it won’t be an easy one…

English version: Zhivko Stanchev