As Christmas approaches, Guatemalan authorities step up controls against poachers targeting an endangered fir tree that is a much sought-after fest...
Not even the high price serves to diminish the fir's popularity as a Christmas tree. AFP/Johan Ordonez
It is also listed by the CITES endangered species convention, currently meeting in Panama City, as an Appendix I protected species, meaning it cannot be traded internationally. "We have always had a pinabete at home for its aroma; it is the hallmark of Christmas," Jaime Reyna, a resident of the capital Guatemala City, told AFP.The Guatemalan fir, which can grow up to 50 meters high and one meter wide, is found in humid forests in the western highlands some 2,400 to 3,500 meters above sea level, according to the CONAP conservation agency.
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