Gambia's forestry authorities have suspended issuing timber harvesting permits to minimize the over-harvesting of trees in the country, officials said Friday.

The decision came after an alarming rate of illegal logging hit various parts of the country.

"It has been brought to the notice of the Department of Forestry that unscrupulous wood dealers are engaged in illegal logging in Gambia particularly in the Kiang West, Niamina East, CRR North, URR North and other places. This activity is significantly contributing to the reduction of our already limited forest cover," an official release said.

The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Water, Forestry and Wildlife urged all related departments to enforce necessary measures to stop illegal logging in Gambia, the release said.

It also said some illegal logging dealers forged documents "for the transportation of their logs or timbers within the country under the pretext that they are imported logs and timbers."

It urged all those engaged in illegal logging and transportation, not only wood dealers, but also facilitators and enablers, to stop their activities. Otherwise, they will "face the full force of the law with the risk of losing to the state both the products and the means used for their transportation," it warned.