Solomon Islands minister acknowledges illegal logging

Solomon Islands minister acknowledges illegal logging

May 20, 2011 - Standing up to powerful global commercial interests seems to be the flavour of the Season in the Solomon Islands. As well as stopping purse seiners from fishing in its territorial waters for tuna in deference to the provisions of the Partners to the Nauru Agreement, the country is turning its attention to illegal logging.

Successive Solomon Islands governments have denied illegal logging existed, though it has been the subject of a slew of media reports down the years. But last week, Forestry Minister Bradley Tovosia said illegal logging remained a big concern for the island nation.

He told media in the Solomon Islands that the lack of understanding about the Forestry Acts and the Country’s code of logging practice are fuelling the problem. He however attributed some of the malpractice to ignorance of the law among many landowners.

But that ignorance also led others to take advantage of the situation, the minister said disputing that the logging industry in the country was in a parlous state – a view promoted by many environmentalists. According to the minister, the country’s reforestation exercise over the past few years would stand the industry in good stead over the coming decades.

ENDS

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