ANALYSIS OF ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES OF THE 1994 FORESTRY LAW AND ITS RELATED DECREES AS TOOLS FOR SUSTAINABILITY OF FAUNA AND FLORA IN CAMEROON

Abstract

Once a law is made, it does not automatically create an impact in the society unless the said law is enforced. A law without compliance and enforcement is as good as a non-existing law.  It is therefore of paramount importance to analyse in this article the nature of compliance and enforcement of the various laws relating to the sustainability of fauna and flora. Categorically speaking, the laws relating to the protection of Wild fauna and flora have witnessed rampant non-compliance especially within the first decade of existence of the 1994 forestry law. However, the non-compliance sparked the initiative of the government and international organs to put up enforcement measures geared towards the insurance of compliance. All these efforts comprehensively from 1994 till present are built on one reason which is to achieve sustainability of fauna and flora. The paper argues that despite these mechanisms of enforcement, fauna and flora have not been effectively sustained but efforts are commendable as lots of species of plants and animals can still be seen conserved in national parks and game reserves. Thus, the paper attributes part of the reasons for the depletion to the recidivism of some citizens who have voluntarily maintained illegal exploitation without recourse to laws prohibiting the exploitation of same.  The paper ends by recommending the improvement of implementation strategies to ensure the achievement of sustainability.