Forests and Reserves (Protection of Protected Plants) Regulations, Government Notice no. 238 of 2024

Forests and Reserves (Protection of Protected Plants) Regulations 2024 GN No. 238 of 2024 Government Gazette of Mauritius No. 111 of 18 October 2024 THE FORESTS AND RESERVES ACT Regulations made by the Minister under section 17 of the Forests and Reserves Act 1. These regulations may be cited as the Forests and Reserves (Protection of Protected Plants) Regulations 2024. 2. In these regulations — "Act" means the Forests and Reserves Act; "NPPO" means the National Plant Protection Office referred to in section 4 of the Plant Protection Act; "sandalwood" means the Santalum album plant. 3. (1) No person shall — (a) uproot a sandalwood plant; (b) exploit the root of a sandalwood plant. (2) A person may, with the written authority of the authorised officer, cut or fell a protected plant or part thereof from State land, private forest land or reserves. (3) An authority under paragraph (1) may be granted where — (a) a survey is carried out on the State land or reserves and a survey report is produced by the Conservator of Forests; (b) the protected plant or part thereof is mature, is above 15 centimetres in diameter and has an economic value; (c) the cutting and felling is done in accordance with Sustainable Forest Management practices; (d) the cutting and felling is essential for the purpose of carrying out developments which are of national interest and for the welfare of the society; and (e) the cutting and felling is for the purpose of forestry or agricultural research. 4. (1) Any person who intends to export a protected plant or part thereof shall, prior to the export, make an application to NPPO for a phytosanitary certificate. (2) No phytosanitary certificate shall be issued unless — (a) the NPPO is in receipt of a compliance certificate from the Conservator of Forests certifying that the applicant has been granted authority to cut and fell the protected plant or part thereof; and (b) the protected plant or part thereof which is within private forest land is inventoried in the register kept under regulation 5(1). (3) After the completion of fumigation and issue of the phytosanitary certificate by the NPPO, the Conservator of Forests shall seal the container of protected plants or parts thereof to be exported. 5. (1) The Conservator of Forests shall keep a register in which he shall record — (a) the details in respect of— (i) every person who grows protected plants on private lands; (ii) every person who is a dealer of protected plants; and (iii) every protected plant or part thereof that is cut and fell; (b) every protected plant or part thereof that is exported. (2) The Conservator of Forests shall keep a record of movement and transformation of every batch of protected plant for which authority for the felling has been given, including the inland movement and any other document necessary until its export and final processing thereof. 6. These regulations shall come into operation on 18 October 2024. Made by the Minister on 18 October 2024.