Ilegal Timber Trade Concern of All Nations: Indonesian President

Camelia Pasandaran Jakarta Globe 8 Jun 11;

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on other countries to help preserve Indonesia’s forests by not becoming markets for illegally logged Indonesian timber.

“In short, there are a lot of fences out there,” the president, referring to dealers in stolen goods, said on Tuesday at a ceremony to hand out environmental awards.

“Whenever we sell timber, we take the heat for deforestation. Certainly there are violations everywhere, which is what we’re cracking down on, but the truth is that there are also fences outside the country.”

He stressed that in order to protect the country’s forests, it behooved other countries to cooperate in preventing illegal logging.

“If you want to do good, let’s work together to sort out the timber industry,” Yudhoyono said.

“Other countries should stop fencing illegally felled timber. That’s the kind of deal that we need to work on. That’s why it’s only fair if the world contributes [financially] to helping forest countries that want to preserve their resources.”

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, speaking at the event, said the number of cases of illegal logging had increased in recent months. However, he declined to say which countries were suspected of receiving and selling illegal timber from Indonesia.

Industry watchers like Greenpeace have long speculated those countries are Malaysia, Singapore and China.

Zulkifli said Indonesia had recently signed an agreement with the European Union that was designed to identify and eventually exclude illegally logged timber products from EU markets in order to promote good forest governance in the exporting country.

Discussions on the agreement began in 2007 but only concluded in April this year.

“The rampant spread of illegal logging has prompted the government to campaign for legal certification for the timber trade,” Zulkifli said.

“For instance, the merbau tree is only found in Indonesia, so if there’s unlicensed merbau timber being traded, then it’s illegal. The trade must be stopped and the perpetrators prosecuted and jailed. That requires international cooperation. If it’s just us fighting to the death, then that’s not fair.”

The merbau tree, however, is not exclusive to Indonesia. It can be found in Southeast Asia, East Africa and Australia.

Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said more needed to be done to stem illegal logging, given the difference between the rates of forest destruction and recovery.

“Forests in Indonesia are being destroyed at a rate of 700,000 hectares a year, while the rate of recovery and reforestation is only 500,000 hectares a year,” he said.

“This means we’re continuing to experience a net increase in forest destruction, which in turn leads to floods and mudslides that not only cause economic losses but loss of life.”

The calls for a crackdown on illegal logging came just weeks after Yudhoyono issued a much-criticized decree on a two-year moratorium.

The decree, issued more than five months after the moratorium was supposed to go into effect, has been widely lambasted by anti-logging activists as not doing enough to prevent the exploitation of forests for commercial purposes.


Illegal wood buyers abroad must be arrested: President
Antara 7 Jun 11;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said efforts must be made to arrest illegal wood buyers abroad to complement the illegal logging eradication campaign at home.

"The two endeavors (illegal logging eradication and efforts to arrest illegal wood buyers abroad) will determine the success of the drive to combat illegal logging in Indonesia," the president said in his address at the commemoration of World Environment Day at the State Palace here on Tuesday.

"Actually there are many illegal wood buyers abroad. If we want to overcome the (deforestation) problem at home we must prevent illegal wood buyers abroad from purchasing illegal or non-kosher wood and wood that cannot be sold abroad," the president said.

Indonesia has been quite serious in preserving its environment and eradicating illegal logging activity, Yudhohono said.

The head of state also urged all parties to maintain Indonesia`s position which the international world believes to be a strong commitment to conserve the environment, primary forests in particular.

"Let us continue to maintain this commitment so that Indonesia can become a `global champion` in environmental preservation which will certainly be good for us all," he said.

On the occasion, the president reminded all parties that the efforts to solve the impact of climate change required cooperation among many parties in global forums.

One of the efforts is how to preserve the forests in a bid to support the life on the earth as the theme on the 2011 world environment day commemoration.

According to Yudhoyono, the developing countries in principle committed and have a special budget to maintain their tropical forests.

The ability of developing countries, however, certainly limited because they should set aside some portion of the budget to improve the welfare of their society, he cited.

It will be fair if the world also contribute to efforts of the countries that really wish to protect and preserve their forests, President Yudhoyono added. (B003/B/HAJM/17:58/f001)

(ANTARA)

Editor: Ella Syafputri