The illegal market for coal has continued to grow between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, adding to the deforestation problems affecting both countries. The Environmental Protection Service (SENPA) has vowed to end this practice and claims to have destroyed more than 1,000 charcoal-making sites this year.

The Environmental Protection Service (SENPA) and the Dominican Army will halt charcoal-smuggling across Dominican Republic’s southern border with Haiti, an announcement that comes just days after outlet diariolibre.dom denounced the practice which jeopardizes forests and fauna.

In a press release the Environment and Defense ministries vowed to strictly control the practice which affects the forest cover in areas such as Barahona, Bahoruco and Independencia provinces.

Environment minister Bautista Rojas said SENPA agents will accompany Army troops on operations to the control charcoal-making and smuggling to Haiti and jointly patrol the tree farms authorized to manage timber. “One of the Environment Ministry’s concern is in regards to charcoal and for this reason, this time with the Defense Ministry’s help, we’re taking steps to definitively correct that situation,” Rojas said.

He said his agency won’t just seize the charcoal and arrest the workers. “We’ll also file charges against those whose business is illegal charcoal. Rojas added that SENPA has destroyed more than 1,000 charcoal-making sites just this year.

For full articles, see http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2014/6/9/51744/Dominican-Army-sent-to-halt-charcoal-trafficking-to-Haiti and http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2014/6/9/51739/Environmentofficial-admits-issuing-permits-for-charcoal

See photo above and related article at https://medium.com/understanding-latin-america/the-charcoal-war-cba9d7340035