Economy, Forestry and Fishing

Guatemala’s large forests, estimated at 2.9 million hectares (7 million acres) in 2000, have been declining at an average rate of 1.7 percent annually, as trees are cut for firewood and construction timber. Some valuable stands of mahogany and cedar remain. In 2000 timber production reached 13.3 million cubic meters (470 cubic feet).

The commercial shrimp and fish industries have grown in the 1990s, with the yearly catch increasing from 2,782 metric tons in 1985 to 11,303 metric tons in 1997. Domestic seafood consumption is small.