Limited supply partly blamed for illegal logging<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The high demand for timber on the growing national and
\ninternational markets and limited supply keeps the illegal timber
\ntrade thriving and results in ever increasing pressure on
\nIndonesia's forests, environmental activists say.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has the world's highest rate of deforestation, with
\nabout three million hectares, or an area of forest the size of
\nSwitzerland, being lost every year.<\/p>\n
Christian Purba, director of the Bogor branch of Forest Watch
\nIndonesia, said a shortage of supply for the domestic timber
\nindustry meant that businesses were willing to buy logs wherever
\nthey could get them, including from illegal suppliers.<\/p>\n
\"Only 20 percent of total demand in Indonesia is capable of
\nbeing provided from legal sources. The rest of it is illegal,\" he
\ntold The Jakarta Post on Monday.<\/p>\n
Togu Manurung of the Indonesian Forestry Academics Union
\n(Persaki) had earlier said that the demand from local industry
\naveraged between 63 million and 80 million cubic meters of logs
\nthrough last year, while only 12 million cubic meters could be
\nprovided through legitimate felling.<\/p>\n
\"The problem is that the demand is higher than the supply.
\nThis results in timber businesses buying from illegal sources ...
\n,\" Christian said.<\/p>\n
With one of the largest tropical rain forest covers in the
\nworld, Indonesia is a major player in supplying the annual global
\ntimber demand of more than 1 billion cubic meters.<\/p>\n
\"A colleague of mine once said that only 17 million cubic
\nmeters of timber products are (legally) available for export,\"
\nsaid Christian.<\/p>\n
Telapak and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) last
\nweek reported that around 2.3 million cubic meters of Indonesian
\ntimber were smuggled onto the Chinese market last year, which
\nmade Indonesia the world's second biggest exporter of illegal
\ntimber, after Russia.<\/p>\n
Telapak activist M. Yayat Afianto said that international
\ndemand was high for various types of wood found in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Each of the major islands in Indonesia produce certain
\nspecies of wood that are in high demand in different timber
\nindustries. These include ebony, ramin (Gonystylus) and merbau
\n(Intsia). Logs from each of these species are worth thousands of
\nU.S. dollars,\" Yayat explained.<\/p>\n
Christian said the retail price of ramin logs in Europe or
\nNorth America could reach US$1,000 per cubic meter, while merbau
\nwas worth up to US$2,288 per cubic meter.<\/p>\n
The high prices offered on the international market have led
\nto rampant smuggling of these rare species.<\/p>\n
\"Between 50 and 60 cubic meters of timber are smuggled from
\nSumatra on average each day every year. About 250 cubic meters
\ncome from Kalimantan and between 60 and 70 cubic meters from
\nSulawesi. Right now, about 10,000 cubic meters are being smuggled
\nout of Papua each day,\" Yayat said, revealing the results of
\nTelapak's investigation.<\/p>\n
Christian proposed two solutions for tackling industry-related
\nproblems: taking action against guilty companies and importing
\nlegal timber from countries not involved in the timber smuggling
\nracket.<\/p>\n
\"The government should close down those companies that refuse
\nto purchase legal timber because they say it is more expensive,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"If our industry cannot meet domestic demand, we should
\nconsider importing wood from other countries, but only from those
\ncountries not involved in the illegal syndicates. The purpose of
\nthis would be to bring supply and demand into equilibrium,\"
\nChristian explained. (006)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/limited-supply-partly-blamed-for-illegal-logging-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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