61 concessions to be used in forestry pilot project
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Forestry Society is assessing 61 concessions as a pilot project on the criteria for, and indicators of, sustainable forest management.
"Up to now 11 forest concessions have been assessed using the criteria and indicators in the field. This year, 50 more concessionaires will be evaluated under this program," Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo said at an Indonesian Executive Circle's business luncheon here yesterday.
The minister said, however, that the results of the assessment would not effect the status of the concessionaires. "Their licenses will not be revoked just because of the results of the assessment."
He said the primary aim of the pilot project was to prepare forest concessionaires to enter the eco-labeling era. "Therefore, they will hopefully be ready by the time when they have to be assessed by the eco-labeling agency."
The government has helped establish the eco-labeling agency by appointing Emil Salim, former state minister of environment and population, to lead the Indonesian Eco-labeling Foundation, the eco-labeling working group for wood-based products.
Most industrial countries currently impose eco-labeling requirements on a wide range of products, including wood- products, textiles, garments, rubber, leather goods, food, pulp and paper.
Boycott
Early last year, some 400 city administrations in Germany boycotted Indonesian wood products. Some speculated that the boycotts resulted from pressures from environmental groups which do not believe in the sustainable management of Indonesian forests.
"Actually no institutions or governments can boycott tropical timbers as it is the right of the people to buy or not to buy (timber)," Djamaludin said.
He suggested that tropical countries undertake big campaigns to counter the "propaganda" of non-government organizations (NGOs) which try to discredit the management of tropical forests.
"NGOs are making big campaigns against tropical timber. Therefore, we should give more counter-campaigns to international markets... But, we have also to try our best to manage our forests well," Djamaludin said.
The green campaign around the world has slashed Indonesia's export earnings from wood products. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Indonesia's exports of wood products declined by 5.6 percent to US$5.19 billion last year from $5.5 billion in 1993. The decline was mainly attributed to plywood earnings, which fell by 11.9 percent to $3.7 billion last year.
Djamaludin estimated earlier this week that in the next ten years, Indonesia's wood product exports were likely to reach at least $10 billion annually, without having to rely on plywood, the production of which depends on large-sized logs.
A number of plywood plants are reportedly reducing their production because of a decreasing number of sizable logs in their concessions.
Djamaludin said yesterday that Indonesia would further reduce timber harvests from natural production forests from the current level of 27 million cubic meters per annum to an average of 22.5 million cubic meters over the next five years.
To offset the decrease, timber supplies from plantation forests would be increased, he said. The Ministry of Forestry aims to establish 1.25 million hectares of new timber plantations between 1994 and 1999, with an annual budget of $250 million.
"It is our intention to further lower the production level from natural forests while increasing the harvests from plantation forests," Djamaludin said.
Up to now, he said, more than three million hectares of industrial plantation forests had been established. In the past few years, Indonesia has been able to plant 1.05 million hectares of new plantation forests at a total cost of over $1 billion, he said.
The minister said that Indonesia currently has 64 million hectares of production forests, of which 51.7 million hectares are being exploited. Indonesia has 30 million hectares of protected forests, of which 24.9 million hectares are being exploited. It also has 19 million hectares of conservation forests and national parks, of which 15.8 million hectares are being exploited. (rid)