Poland pauses logging in ancient forests
The new government’s decision will provide temporary relief for brown bears and bison
Environmentalists in Poland have welcomed the decision by the Polish government to suspend logging for six months in 10 of the country’s forests, many of which are internationally important biodiversity hotspots, including the famous Białowieża Forest. The move is the first step in protecting 20 per cent of forests, which the government promised on being elected last October.
“A partial moratorium in 10 locations is a good solution, but only for a short while,” says Aleksandra Wiktor, Greenpeace Poland biodiversity campaigner.
Poland is home to some of Europe’s last surviving ancient forests, which host brown bears, lynx and wolves, whilst Białowieża Forest is home to around 800 European bison. Uncontrolled and controversial logging has, however, threatened the longterm future of all these forests.
“The most valuable old-growth forests such as the Białowieża and Carpathian Forests need immediate and permanent protection,” says Wiktor. “They have been devastated in recent years by irresponsible logging carried out by state foresters politicised by the previous government.” The wildlife in Białowieża Forest is also threatened by a 186km long and 5m high razor-wire fence running along the PolishBelarusian border, built in 2022 to prevent asylum seekers from entering the country. “Animal migration routes are blocked, which may lead to the collapse of the lynx population in the Polish part of Białowieża,” says Wiktor, adding that: “therefore it is necessary to protect the Carpathian (lynx) population and those found in other regions even more effectively.”