International non-governmental organisation, Green Peace, involved in the conservation of natural resources, has reported that a shipload of timber from Cameroon was discovered at an entry port in France recently. Forest Companies Rougier/SFID and Patrice Bois involved in forestry exploitation in the country, were allegedly transporting the timber harvested from Cameroonian forests

Apparently, animals that live in these forests, such as gorillas, and much biodiversity were affected in the course of harvesting the timber.Green Peace accuses the French government of tolerating companies, which have track records of illegally exploiting forests and importing timber into its territory.

Green Peace attributes this to the weaknesses of the French as well as the European Union legislation.According to Green Peace, every week, ships loaded with timber from illegal sources in Africa, South America and South East Asia land in France.

On December 7, Green Peace documented the arrival of a ship loaded with timber from Cameroon at the Sete Port in France and transported by an Italian timber company known as Patrice Bois. This company, Green Peace says, is well known for its irregularities in forestry exploitation in Cameroon.

Unfortunately, Green Peace says that when such timber gets into French territory, it is considered legal given weaknesses in the French and European Union laws regulating illegal timber exploitation. As such, the timber is sold freely in France and some European Union countries.

Green Peace says the European Union initiative to fight illegal importation of timber (Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade - FLEGT) does not contain sufficient and strict measures to reject timber coming from illegal sources.

Green Peace blames the French government and the European Union for not taking firm action against what it describes as a social and ecological crisis. It further blames the French government for entering into accords with African governments, which, according to Green Peace, fabricate exploitation licences usually against the law.