Tunisia is dealing with a tragic rise in the number of timber smugglers and illegal tree cutters and dealers. A tree smuggler had been chased by the Tunisian authorities after he was found smuggling an enormous amount of timber by the Forest Administration Department. This guy had been cutting trees of a whole mountain in the Military exclusion zone in Jebel Ouergha in Kef and selling them in the black market for 150 Tunisian Dinar per unity.

In the span of 4 years, 50000 tree have been  compromised following military orders ( to stop terrorists from nesting in the forest).These trees lived up  to 70 years and will need another 70 to grow back.

This phenomena has also been spotted in the region of Sfax where a farmer reported the theft of some olive trees from his land. The smugglers would afterwards sell them to artisans who would transform them into handmade products and sell them in souvenir shops.

A government report reveals that 300000 tree have been cut down since the revolution yet it seems that there is no clear law that prohibits this hazardous environmental violation. I'm starting this petition because i feel that this can be stopped through very simple means, such as appointing more forest guards and police agents to protect and secure these areas and through implementing strict laws against these tree crimes.