Govt claims illegal logging lower

Govt claims illegal logging lower

JAKARTA: The government claimed on Wednesday that illegal
logging activities in the country's conservation areas had
declined in 2002.

Widodo S. Ramono, Director of Natural Conservation Areas at
the Ministry of Forestry said three national parks, Tanjung
Puting in Kalimantan, Siberut and Kerinci Seblat in Sumatra, were
good examples of the decline in illegal logging activities.

He said in Tanjung Puting National Park, illegal loggers had
not rebuilt bridges that had been destroyed by the local
government. Railway tracks passing through the area had also been
destroyed to stop illegal logging, he added.

"They can only use the river, but we rarely discover them
shipping illegal logs along the river now compared with the
past," Widodo said.

He added that two forest concession holders operating near
Kerinci Seblat National Park had even returned their rights to
the government, allowing the areas to be part of the national
park due their rich biodiversity. --JP