News
The Department of Environmental Supervision identified 156 cases of illegal forest use in April
Employees of the Department of Environmental Supervision of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture identified 156 cases of illegal forest use between April 1 and April 30, 2026.
Of the identified violations, 125 cases involve the illegal harvesting and transportation of timber, while 31 relate to breaches of technical regulations by sawmills and instances of illegal operations.19 cases contain elements of criminal offenses, and the case materials have been forwarded to the relevant authorities for further legal action.
In April 2026, one unregistered sawmill was sealed.
In total, more than 254 cubic meters of illegally harvested timber were seized.
By region, the highest number of cases - 48 - was recorded in Adjara. In Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, 36 cases were identified; in Kakheti - 24; in Imereti - 19; in Samtskhe-Javakheti - 8; in Kvemo Kartli - 7; in Guria - 5; in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti - 3; in Shida Kartli - 3; and in Mtskheta-Mtianeti - 2 cases.
A violation was also recorded in the capital city - Environmental Patrol and Rapid Response officers identified one case of illegal timber transportation in Tbilisi.
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).
In the first four months of the current year, 651 cases of illegal forest use were identified across the country. Twenty illegal sawmills were sealed.
