FAO Forestry country profiles - harvesting practicies

Administrative framework

L´Institut de Développement Forestier (IDF) is a Governmental organ of the agricultural ministry and is responsible for the development and administration of the forestry sector.

There is hardly any forestry policy or legal framework in the country. The present forestry legislation, which derives from the colonial time in the1960s, concerns the utilisation and exploitation of forest flora and fauna, but is very unprecise and vague. In accordance to this existing legislation, there is no private ownership of natural forests with the exception of the small areas designated for farming (IDF 1994, MINADER&FAO 1996).