Forest guards fine Romanian foragers in Podkarpacie

Forest guards from the Dukla and Rymanów districts in Poland have issued eight fines to Romanian citizens for unauthorized entry into forest areas in the Podkarpacie region, specifically within the Beskid Niski mountains.

Large groups of foragers, often numbering in the dozens, have been camping in forest parking lots and campsites. They use vehicles with Romanian registration to transport groups to the forests at dawn and collect the harvested mushrooms in the afternoon. The mushrooms are sorted and packed into crates on-site for export.

While local foragers have expressed concern regarding the organized way these groups move through the woods, officials from RDLP Krosno stated that no dangerous incidents or threats against locals have been recorded. The primary issues identified by authorities are illegal vehicle access to forest lands and littering.

Łukasz Krzakiewicz, a property protection specialist for the Forest Guard, noted that under Polish law, mushroom picking is not restricted, and these individuals are treated the same as any other EU citizen as long as they do not commit crimes. The Border Guard and Police have been notified and are increasing patrols in areas where these groups are active.