Ministry issues measures meant to counter wildfires
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries on January 30 signed off on a list of seven measures intended to guard against forest fires, although details on implementation remained scarce on January 31 and observers said they expected little to come of the new document. The regulations largely appear to reiterate existing measures, such as bans on burning of forested land to drive out animals or to convert land into fields or pastures, as well as on the traditional use of fire in harvesting honey. Among the new measures is a directive telling authorities to improve response times to fires including mobilising the “community, students [and] monks” to help and another ordering they ensure that burned land is guarded so it may be reforested.
