A private non-profit conservation group in Panama has asked environmental authorities in the country to suspend logging permits to stanch illegal logging of prized wood such as cocobolo, rosewood, mahogany and balsam, according to Newsroom Panama.
Panama's National Association for the Conservation of Nature asked authorities to establish a moratorium, eliminate "subsistence" permits and implement recovery measures for the prized trees. Carlos Espinosa, a World Wildlife Fund representative in Panama, said the country's current logging system promotes unauthorized cutting, and that the country's authorities have not committed to solving the problem.
Authorities suspended transportation of wood logs on April 3, and the suspension ended today; it is unclear whether the Panamanian authorities intend to move forward with an outright moratorium.
