Malaysia told to act on timber smuggling<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia has asked Malaysia to deal with those smuggling ramin
\nfrom Indonesia, following its recent registration in Appendix 2
\nof the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
\n(CITES).<\/p>\n
Growing only in swampy areas of Indonesia and Malaysia, ramin
\n(Gonystylus spp.) has long been considered an endangered species.<\/p>\n
Indonesia banned in 2001 the logging and export of ramin and
\nplaced it in Appendix 3 of CITES, which means Indonesia has
\nimposed a comprehensive ban on the ramin trade.<\/p>\n
An undercover investigation by non-governmental organization
\nTelapak and British-based Environment Investigation Agency (EIA)
\nrevealed early this year that Malaysia has become the hub of the
\nramin trade, receiving thousands of tons of illegally logged
\nIndonesian ramin every year, and selling it to unsuspecting
\nconsumers around the world.<\/p>\n
With ramin fetching up to US$1,000 per cubic meter on the
\ninternational market, Ramin is used to make everything from baby
\ncribs and pool cues to picture frames and decorative trim.<\/p>\n
Koes Saparjadi, the director general of forest protection and
\nnatural conservation with the Ministry of Forestry, said over the
\nweekend that all signatory countries of CITES were obliged to
\nprotect the endangered ramin trees.<\/p>\n
\"It is required of all of us that we are not involved in the
\ntrade of ramin wood and ramin products, which could push the
\nendangered species to extinction,\" Koes said.<\/p>\n
During the recently concluded CITES meeting in Bangkok,
\nIndonesia successfully pushed to move ramin from Appendix 3 to
\nAppendix 2 of CITES, forcing signatory countries -- either
\nproducer or consumer countries -- to ban the trade of ramin and
\nramin products. Malaysia initially opposed the proposal, but
\nlater supported it.<\/p>\n
Appendix 3 requires the countries of origin of endangered
\nspecies to prevent their trade, while Appendix 2 obliges both
\nproducer and consumer countries to ban the trade.<\/p>\n
Koes said Indonesia, as the \"home country\" of ramin, would
\nimpose a quota and certification for the sale of ramin and its
\nproducts.<\/p>\n
Indonesia banned in 2001 the sale of ramin, a blond tropical
\nhardwood, and registered it under CITES Appendix 3 to curb the
\nillegal trade. Malaysia had taken exception to the clause on
\nramin.<\/p>\n
Currently, Indonesia only recognizes one timber company in
\nRiau as the exporter of ramin as it cultivates the trees, rather
\nthan logging them in forests.<\/p>\n
The population of ramin, which is mostly found in Kalimantan
\nand on the eastern coast of Sumatra, continues to decrease. Data
\nfrom the Ministry of Forestry reveals that in 1994 the production
\nof ramin in the country reached 665,245 cubic meters, while this
\nyear it recorded 8,000 cubic meters.<\/p>\n
According to Telapak and EIA, an illegal Malaysian logging
\nsyndicate was involved in the smuggling of ramin from Indonesia
\nto the neighboring country.<\/p>\n
The ramin wood was allegedly smuggled from Sumatra to Pasir
\nGudang Port in Johor Baru, Malaysia, to be made into consumer
\ngoods for export to Hong Kong and Shanghai, before finding its
\nway to Europe and the United States.<\/p>\n
Telapak and EIA found that around 4,500 cubic meters of ramin
\nwood was smuggled monthly from Sumatra to Johor Baru at a buying
\nprice of US$20 per cubic meter, while smugglers sell processed
\nramin wood for $700 per cubic meter.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysia-told-to-act-on-timber-smuggling-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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