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LIMA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Peru loses around 155,000 hectares of forests every year due to deforestation, the country's National Forestry and Wildlife Service (Serfor) chief said at a workshop meeting here on Monday.
Illicit activities in the Peruvian Amazon, such as illegal logging for crops and informal mining, are among the main causes, Serfor Director Fabiola Munoz said at a workshop ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) 10th Expert Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade.
Munoz said that deforestation in Peru is linked to profit mentality."This isn't just due to the illegal logging trade. It is also because of a change of use. If the people don't find value in how this forest is being used, they prefer to change the use toward another economic activity that generates more value."
The director said that Peru's proposal is to carry out preventive measures to avoid continued devastation of forests due to commercial interests.
Munoz said Peru is exchanging experience on preserving forestry resources with the other 20 economies of APEC, adding that one of Peru's goals is to successfully attract foreign investment in developing and preserving forest resources.
The two-day workshop started Monday in Lima, forming part of the preparatory meetings ahead of the 24th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting which will take place here in November 2016.
APEC currently has 21 member economies -- Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, China's Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.
