The National Agency for Environmental Quality Control (AQUA) has seized 404.4 cubic meters of forest products—primarily timber—in Gaza Province, southern Mozambique, between the beginning of 2024 and the first half of 2025, due to various irregularities in the logging and transportation of forest resources.
According to Jacinta Leissone, the provincial delegate of AQUA, quoted by AIM, the main violations included the logging and transport of trees with diameters below the legally permitted size, as well as the exploitation of natural resources without proper licensing.
She stated that 104 infraction notices were issued, although the total amount of the fines applied was not disclosed. AQUA submitted 18 cases to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Tax and Administrative Court, due to the severity of the offenses or persistent failure to pay the fines.
“In terms of seized forest products, we’re talking about 404.4 cubic meters. Two cases were sent to the Public Prosecutor, and when there are delays in paying fines, cases are referred to Fiscal Execution. So far, we’ve referred 16 fines to that authority,” Leissone explained.
She emphasized that in the first half of 2025, AQUA in Gaza intensified environmental inspection activities aimed at curbing illegal practices that threaten local ecosystems.
Regarding the monitoring of socioeconomic development projects with environmental impact, 40 audits were planned for the year, with 24 completed by the end of June.
Illegal logging remains one of the biggest threats to environmental sustainability in Mozambique, in a context of growing pressure on ecosystems by informal operators and organized networks.
Source: MZ News
