Illegal chainsaw operations in Ghana's forests continue to be a major hurdle to maintaining a sustainable environment.

The spate of illegal logging in the country's forests is also delaying Ghana's issuance of a Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licence for its domestic market.

Meanwhile, per Ghana's Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), which it signed over a decade ago with the European Union (EU), the country should have been ready to begin issuing the FLEGT licence long ago but that has still not happened.

Currently, Ghana loses billions of cedis to illegal chainsaw operations annually.

In an interview with Class91.3FM's McAnthony Dagyenga, the Managing Campaigner for EcoCare Ghana, an environmental advocacy organisation, Mr Obed Owusu-Addai, said pragmatic steps such as domestic reforms need to be taken to stop the situation.

He pointed out that illegal activities of the operators pose a huge risk to the environment and wants action expedited to end the menace of illegal chainsaw operations to save the country’s forests.

Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com/91.3FM