Finland invited to cooperate in forest projects<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has submitted several proposals to the
\nFinnish government to conduct joint activities for forest
\ndevelopment in this country, an official from the Ministry of
\nForestry says.<\/p>\n
Toga Silitonga, head of the ministry's research and
\ndevelopment agency, said over the weekend that before the
\nprojects can be implemented, they would require approval from
\nEuropean Union conferences.<\/p>\n
"The joint projects will be presented by the Finnish
\ndelegation at the EU conferences," Toga was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying after closing the fifth Indonesia-Finland joint workshop
\non forestry and industrial forestry here.<\/p>\n
He said the proposed projects included the marketing of new
\nforest products, development of the pulp industry, utilization of
\nwood wastes, establishment of a pulp and paper training center
\nand studies on socioeconomic aspects of forestry development.<\/p>\n
The project on waste utilization, he said, was particularly
\nimportant because excess wood from wood-based industries in
\nIndonesia is usually burnt, forming thick hazes, which are said
\nto be hazardous to both the environment and health.<\/p>\n
Finland, on the other hand, is presently capable of building
\nwood industries which dispose of a minimum amount of waste and
\nindustries which are capable of using the wastes for making other
\nproducts.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Finland are currently conducting joint projects
\nin developing seed plantations on peat moss areas, which are
\nfound extensively across Indonesia, Toga said.<\/p>\n
The joint workshop, which took place last week, was attended
\nby government officials of both countries, with Toga leading the
\nIndonesian delegation.<\/p>\n
The Finnish delegation, led by the director of Finland's
\nForeign Trade Association, Reino Gunn, also made a visit to the
\ncenter for forestry training in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, last
\nweek.<\/p>\n
During the workshop, Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry,
\nFinland's Forestry and Agricultural Ministry and Finland's
\nForeign Trade Association agreed to continue the on-going
\nprojects and to create new ones.<\/p>\n
The next workshop will be held in Finland in 1997.<\/p>\n
Criticism<\/p>\n
Finnish Ambassador Veli J. Ollikainen, who also attended the
\nworkshop's closing ceremony, admitted that criticism from the
\ngreen society toward timber industries was not only a problem to
\nIndonesia, but to Finland as well.<\/p>\n
"The negative propaganda on forest destruction continues to
\noccur throughout the world because of misunderstanding and a lack
\nof information on the real conditions of tropical forests,"
\nOllikainen was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that Indonesia, with one of the vastest
\ntropical forests in the world, "has done the best that it can" to
\nprotect its forests.<\/p>\n
As a major timber producer and owner of extensive forest
\nindustries, he said, Finland was often also the target of green
\ncampaigns.<\/p>\n
According to the Ministry of Forestry, out of 144 million
\nhectares of forests throughout the country, 30 million hectares
\n(21 percent) is allocated as protected forests, 19 million
\nhectares (13 percent) as nature reserves and national parks, 31
\nmillion hectares (22 percent) as limited production forests, 33
\nmillion hectares (23 percent) as regular production forests and
\n30 million hectares (21 percent) as convertible forests.<\/p>\n
Aside from protected forests, nature reserves and national
\nparks, other forests may be subject to either selected felling or
\nclear cutting. (pwn)<\/p>",
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