Eucalyptus plantations continue to expand in Portugal, according to the environmental organisation Quercus, despite a government pledge to halt the expansion of the species and a law change.
The National Association for the Conservation of Nature, (Quercus) along with the Association for the Promotion of Forest Investment, (Acréscimo), say the number of licences issued actually has increased, despite commitments made by the current Government.
"Since the entry into force of the Law liberalising eucalyptus plantation, in October 2013, to June 30, 2017, the area occupied by this species has registered a increase equivalent in size to the city of Lisbon,” state the NGOs, adding, that “43% of new eucalyptus plantations were authorised by the previous government. The current government is responsible, in the first half of this year alone, for 57% of the legal expansion of this exotic species in Portugal."
"It is necessary to remember that the Government undertook to stop the expansion of this species in Portugal. However, there is a significant increase compared to the licenses granted by the previous Government," state the organisations in a joint communiqué.
The organisations point out that the current Government undertook to repeal Decree-Law no. 96/2013 establishing the legal regime for planting trees. It did but the change to the law was ineffective as it only prohibited eucalyptus planting in areas greater than 0.5 hectares and anyway, will only come into force in mid-February 2018.
The associations are seriously concerned about the inevitable race to plant new eucalyptus trees before the new legislation comes into force next February.
The government's new Forest Tsar, Tiago Martins Oliveira, may wish to comment or indeed, Luís Capoulas Santos, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development.
