Understanding motivations for violation of timber harvesting regulation: The case of chainsaw operators in Ghana

Despite regulations introduced about two decades ago to prohibit the use of chainsaw machines for milling logs into lumber for commercial purposes in Ghana, the practice still persists in clear violation of the law. This empirical case study in the Ashanti Region of Ghana seeks to understand the motivations for such violation. The study finds that low deterrence, economic gains to be derived, high patronage of chainsaw milled lumber on the domestic and the West African sub-regional markets, apparent lack of social sanctions for violators, weak morals of the actors involved, perceived unreasonableness of the regulations that prohibit chainsaw milling and low legitimacy of the regulators have all contributed to the violation behaviour. It also highlights the importance of contextual factors particularly poverty and political support in shaping the violation behaviour. The implications of these findings for policy are discussed and recommendations put forward.