The 2022/23 financial year saw a 52% rise in the number of complaints reported through various channels to the national, provincial and municipal departments, as well as to State-owned entities, which is indicative of the increase in public awareness of green, brown and blue crimes in South Africa, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) says. Although there is greater awareness of environmental crimes among the general public, the impact of these crimes on South Africa and its citizens remains a cause for concern.
