News
The Department of Environmental Supervision identified 185 cases of illegal forest use in March 2026
Employees of the Department of Environmental Supervision of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture identified 185 cases of illegal forest use during the period from March 1 to March 31, 2026.
Of the identified violations, 151 cases involve the illegal harvesting and transportation of timber, while 34 relate to breaches of technical regulations by sawmills and instances of illegal operations.
Of the identified violations, 32 cases contain elements of criminal offenses. The case materials have been forwarded to the relevant authorities for further legal action.
In March 2026, eight unregistered sawmills were sealed. In total, more than 183 cubic meters of illegally harvested timber were seized.
The highest number of cases was recorded in Adjara - 49, followed by Samegrelo–Zemo Svaneti - 32, Imereti - 30, Kakheti - 29, Samtskhe–Javakheti - 11, Racha–Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti - 10, Kvemo Kartli - 10, Shida Kartli - 7, Guria - 4, and Mtskheta–Mtianeti - 3.
The Environmental Supervision Department’s patrol and rapid response teams conduct continuous 24-hour monitoring nationwide and implement preventive measures to ensure the timely prevention, suppression, and detection of illegal logging and other environmental violations. Immediate action is taken in response to every report received through the Ministry’s hotline (153).
It is noteworthy that, in the first three months of the current year, a total of 490 cases of illegal forest use have already been identified nationwide.
Within the framework of combating poaching and other environmental crimes, the Department actively employs modern technologies, while enforcement mechanisms and sanctions have been strengthened.
