"Rosewood trafficking worsens in Ghana, EIA releases shocking data for December 2020 exportation to China" 15 February 2021

A new data by the Washington DC based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), says, 9,031,570 Kilograms (kg) of rosewood, an equivalent of $ 5,663,782 were imported by China from Ghana in December 2020 while bans on its harvest and export have been in place.

This is despite the fact that, the value and volume of rosewood exported to China from Ghana should be zero. [...]

Fragile ecosystems

The environmental impacts of deforestation as a result of the illegal rosewood harvesting are already being felt in this Savannah belt of the country. “Before this phenomenon, you always had shade in the forest, but now the sun and wind have a lot of negative effects. Our rainfall pattern has changed and most of the rivers here serving as a source of drinking water for the people have completely dried up”, Hajia Damata, a resident of Busunu told ghenvironment.org. [...]

Being aware of the ongoing illegality regarding trading of rosewood in the country, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources had in January this year warned that, the ban placed on the harvesting, transporting and exporting of Rosewood is still in force and that, any person or group of persons who flout it would be arrested and prosecuted according to the laws of Ghana.