Since the beginning of the year, the flora of Ukraine has suffered damages exceeding 200 million hryvnias.
In January-July 2021, violators of environmental legislation caused damage to Ukraine's flora amounting to over 200 million hryvnias.
As Ukrinform reports, this was stated by the head of the State Environmental Inspectorate Andriy Malyovany, according to the press service of the State Environmental Inspectorate.
"Over 2.7 thousand administrative protocols have been drawn up for illegal logging, illegal forest use, violation of fire safety requirements in forests, and destruction of red-listed plants. That is, the amount of damage for one violation averaged over 70 thousand hryvnias," Malyovany said.
According to him, the damage caused to the environment has long-term consequences, and planting new trees or plants will not help restore the system to its original state.
Malyovany emphasized that achieving more effective protection of forest plantations will also be possible by strengthening environmental control through the adoption of bill No. 3091. Currently, inspectors often face non-admission to forestries where illegal logging takes place. The draft law proposes to increase the fine for this violation from 765 hryvnias to 600 thousand - 1.8 million hryvnias.
"Currently, the fine for felling or damaging trees is 2550-5100 hryvnias for officials. Meanwhile, illegally destroyed timber is sold for tens of millions of hryvnias. Increasing fines will allow more effective combating of such crimes," Malyovany added.
As reported, on July 15, 2021, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading the draft law on state environmental control (No. 3091).