A stump of a tree in Yang Bay forest which was cut down by illegal loggers. (Photo: SGGP)

The deforestation of Yang Bay, a protected forest in Khanh Hoa Province’s, continues unchecked despite a barrage of media reports on the illegal logging.

Local authorities found dozens of valuable but endangered trees cut down during a recent inspection of this area, most of them with trunks measuring almost a meter across.
 
Six groups, which include police officers and village heads, are thought to be behind the logging but no serious action has been taken against them yet.

Some illegal loggers in the area admitted they are rarely caught red-handed since they have the forest wardens’ work schedule. A few loggers have been caught after brazenly transporting the wood during the day but the quantity of wood captured from them is small.

Yang Bay forest and Yang Bay waterfall are famous tourism spots in Khanh Hoa that attract hundreds of visitors daily. But if the logging is not stopped, the forest will disappear soon.