With the New Year holidays approaching, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture is strengthening controls over the harvesting and transportation of coniferous plants. The National Forestry Agency has issued a statement urging the public not to destroy natural resources and to use artificial Christmas trees instead.
“Illegal harvesting, transportation, or sale of coniferous plants will be fined 2,000 GEL for the first offense. Repeat violations carry criminal liability. Additionally, the environmental damage will be calculated. If the damage exceeds 1,000 GEL, a criminal case will be initiated, with penalties including a fine or imprisonment from 1 to 3 years. In cases of large-scale illegal harvesting, if environmental damage exceeds 3,000 GEL, imprisonment ranges from 5 to 7 years. All detected violations will incur sanctions as defined by law,” said Kakha Tsertsvadze, head of the National Forestry Agency.
Legally obtained coniferous plants can come from nurseries, plantations, private plots, or imported sources. Sellers must provide documentation proving legal ownership. If a coniferous plant is harvested from private land or an artificially grown nursery, a certificate of origin issued by the local municipal government is required for transportation.
