Riau determined to curb illegal logging

Riau determined to curb illegal logging

Ridwan Max Sijabat The Jakarta Post Pekanbaru, Riau

Riau plans to review its forestry policy to curb rampant illegal logging, which contributes to regular flooding in the resource- rich province, its governor says.

Governor Rusli Zainal said the number of forest concessions given to businessmen and timber companies was too high and out of proportion to the size of forests in the province.

"There is no other alternative but to reduce the number of forest concessions given to timber and plywood companies to rational numbers in an attempt to salvage the province's vanishing forests," he said.

Rusli, who became governor several months ago, was speaking at an award ceremony for companies developing zero accident policies.

He said he would consult with officials and the regencies to re-evaluate the province's development policies on forestry. Deforestation had drastically increased during the past two decades, he said.

"The vanishing forests have a lot to do with the issue of too many forest concessions and the great number of sawmills and other factories using wood as a raw material," he said.

He had received reports that many concession-holders and sawmills partly sourced their raw materials from illegal logging in protected areas.

"Environmental activists and the media have stressed the prevalence of illegal logging, which has damaged the environment and contributed to annual floods, but local administrations continue to keep silent," Rusli said.

The governor conceded there was something lacking in the province's forestry policy. Despite the rapidly vanishing forests, the volume of log exports from the province appeared to have accelerated while sawmills and pulp mills continued to increase their production capacity.

"I have no data at hand, but based on reports I have received and after several tours of the field, I feel there need to be concrete measures to salvage the environment and to promote a sustainable development program," he said.

The province has been facing floods and landslides almost annually during the rainy season.

Forest areas in the province are home to millions of species of rare flora and fauna. More than half of Riau's forests have already vanished -- converted to palm oil plantations and farmland.