News Archive January 2010
Study says military complicit in illegal logging
The Jakarta Post , 29 January 2010
A research conducted by the University of Indonesia revealed that military
personnel were involved in illegal logging practice in border areas.
A team from the Center for East Asia Cooperation Studies (CEACoS) at the
University of Indonesia, uncovered the military’s many roles in the illicit
business from coordinating to monitoring and investing.
The research covers the period between 1999 and 2006 in East Kalimantan, where
illegal logging practices have been reportedly rampant.
“[The military’s involvement in this practice] was structural; low-ranked
soldiers to territorial commanders received a share,” CEACoS executive director
Tirta N. Mursitama, head researcher, told the The Jakarta Post..................
Forest policy undercuts SBY’s emission pledge
The Jakarta Post , 13 January 2010
Adianto P. Simamora ,
The Forestry Ministry’s plan to allow more mining firms operate in forests
could hinder the government’s efforts to meet emission reduction targets, as
pledged by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The ministry said it planned to allocate 2.2 million hectares of forests for
mining activities between 2010 to 2020.
“The plan to convert 2.2 million hectares of forests for mining could release
about 550 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere,” Greenomics Indonesia
executive director, Elfian Effendi, said.
“This policy runs counter to President Yudhoyono’s speech [in Copenhagen] on
emission reduction targets.”.....................
Mobile sawmills threaten forests
The Jakarta Post , 8 January 2010
Oyos Saroso H.N.,
The presence of mobile sawmills around Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (TNBBS)
in West Lampung, Lampung province, poses a serious threat to the park.
Widespread illegal logging in limited production forests next to the national
park is strongly believed to be a result of the many sawmills, especially mobile
sawmills, locally known as walking sawmills.
In 2005, West Lampung Forestry Office closed all sawmills and no longer issued
logging permits to community-owned forests (IPKTM), or authorized timber product
certificates (SKSHH), because the sawmills and permits were believed to
exacerbate the illegal logging problems in the province.
“The mobile sawmills have reopened because of the high demand for illegal timber
from outside the area, especially from Bandarlampung and major cities in
Java............
Sarawak Forestry Corporation promises speedy probe into alleged illegal logging
Bernama, 5 January 2010
KUCHING, Jan 5 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak Forestry Corporation has promised
speedy investigation into alleged illegal logging in the vicinity of the Kubah
National Park as reported by villagers recently.
Its managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Len Talif Salleh
said several meetings were held by the enforcement division to address the
villagers' concern.
"Now, a team of our enforcement officers is in the area to conduct further
investigation.
"We are taking all information from the public seriously and we are now
following up on the complaints.
"We will go after the illegal loggers and use all possible means to stop their
activities that cause damage to the environment and natural resources," he said
in a statement here Tuesday............................
70 pct of mangrove forests in Babel damaged
Antara, 4 January 2010
Pangkalpinang (ANTARA News) - Around 70 percent of a total of 122,000
hectares of mangrove forests in Bangka Belitung (Babel) province were damaged by
tin mining operations, a forest affairs official said.
"The damage on the mangrove forests is among others caused by mining activities
in the coastal regions," head of the Babel Forestry Agency Sukandar said here
Sunday.
According to him, the mangrove forest destruction can kill rabs and shrimps.
"Floods and abrasion could occur at any time due to damage to the mangrove
forests, and the economy of the local fishermen will also be affected," he said.
The mangrove forest damage occurred in every district of the province that needs
serious handling to restore and preserve the mangrove forests, he
stated...................
Forest-based industries on the edge of survival
The Jakarta Post , 4 January 2010
Benget Besalicto Tnb. ,
Indonesia’s forest-based industries remain on the edge of survival after more
than a decade of government decentralization that was accompanied by a series of
failed policies and mismanagement.
The situation deteriorated in 2009 as the domestic troubles were coupled by a
slump in global demand that was caused mainly by two factors: the greatest
financial crisis in history and the growth in global awareness of the
sustainable management of forests.
The annual value of Indonesia’s exports of wood products — mainly panel products
such as plywood, sawn timber and woodworks — has been decreasing since at least
2003 when the value stood at 5.4 million cubic meters and was followed by 4.6
million in 2004, 3.5 million in 2005, 3.1 million in 2006, 2.9 million in 2007,
and 1.68 million cubic meters in 2008............................
Sierra Leone cracks down on illegal logging by banning log exports
mongabay, 2 January 2010
Sierra Leone has banned the transport and export of logs in an effort to
crack down on illegal logging, reports AFP.
"Illegal logging is having adverse effect on the country's environment and
depleting the ozone layer and most be stopped with immediate effect," said a
statement issued by President Ernest Koroma's office.
Violations of the ban, which takes effect immediately, will be punishable by
fines and confiscation of property.
Officials in Sierra Leone told AFP that "tens of millions of dollars worth of
logs were smuggled out of the country to Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian
countries to be made into furniture and household decorations." Wood products
are often unlabeled or mislabeled to conceal their origin......................
ILEA have more...
