| (a) | cut, disturb, damage or destroy any protected tree; or |
| (b) | possess, collect, remove, transport, export, purchase, sell, donate or in any other manner acquire or dispose of any protected tree, or any forest product derived from a protected tree, |
except—
| (i) | under a licence granted by the Minister; or |
| (ii) | in terms of an exemption from the provisions of this subsection published by the Minister in the Gazette on the advice of the Council. |
| (2) | The decision to declare a tree, group of trees, woodland or species protected may not be revoked, nor may the notice referred to in section 13(3) be amended, without the Minister following the procedure set out in section 13. |
| (3) | The Minister must publish— |
| (a) | a list of all species protected under section 12; and |
| (b) | an appropriate warning of the prohibition referred to in subsection (1) and the consequences of its infringement, |
annually in the Gazette and in two newspapers circulating nationally.
