Illegal logging unchecked on Sumatra island

Illegal logging unchecked on Sumatra island

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung

Sumatra island will be denuded within years if action is not
taken to stop the trade in illegally cut logs, with reports of
tens of millions of cubic meters (m3) of these logs being shipped
to Java each month.

The illegally cut timber, mostly meranti (a type of mahogany-
like wood), is transported by trucks and those involved in the
trade are often able to secure transportation permits (SAKB),
albeit fake, for the processed timber (SAKO).

Joko Santoso, director of the Watala environmental
organization, said illegal logging cost the state trillions of
rupiah a month, considering meranti can fetch a price of between
Rp 750,000 (US$83.00) and Rp 1 million per cubic meter.

"If an average of 15 million cubic meters of illegally cut
timber is sent to Java each month, then the country is losing
about Rp 15 trillion monthly," Joko said recently.

In Lampung province, for example, sawn timber measuring 40
centimeters-by-40 centimeters in diameter with a length of 3.5
meters to 4 meters is usually carried by hand to jeeps waiting to
transport the timber out of the protected forest to several
gathering points around the 360,000-hectare South Bukit Barisan
National Park.

From these gathering points, the timber is transported by
large trucks. There are two overland routes used by the trucks.
The western route passes through Pasar Krui, Liwa (West Lampung),
Kotabumi (North Lampung), Tanjungkarang and Jakarta.

The southern route passes through Pasar Wonosobo, Kotaagung,
Pringsewu (Tanggamus regency) and Tanjungkarang (Bandar Lampung).

From Bandar Lampung, the trucks will head to Bakauheni Port on
the tip of Lampung province, where they are transported by ferry
to Merak Port in Banten province on the western tip of Java
island. The illegal timber is then transported east to Jakarta,
West Java, Central Java and East Java.

Joko is positive the timber is illegally cut because meranti
forests can only be found in Lampung province in the South Bukit
Barisan National Park and the 125,000-hectare Way Kambas National
Park, which are both protected forests where people are strictly
forbidden to cut trees.

Meranti is a very high quality mahogany-like wood, used
chiefly for furniture, plywood and construction.

"We have concluded that falsified SAKO and SAKB documents are
being used to trick forestry and security personnel," he said.

Besides security personnel, forestry personnel are also
involved in illegal logging, according to Joko.

"This is ironic. The national parks will be depleted of trees
in 10 years if illegal logging is not stopped," he said.

He said the daily increase in demand for timber from Java was
one of the reasons for the illegal logging in South Bukit Barisan
National Park. "The business is quite lucrative because it can
rake in a great deal of money over a short period, plus
transportation is easy."

According to data from Watala, there are more than 15 illegal
sawmills operating in and around the national park and other
protected forests in West Lampung.

"The trucks can even enter and leave the national parks as
they wish due to the poor supervision," Joko said.

Weak law enforcement, according to Joko, has exacerbated the
situation. "If a truck is impounded the legal process stops there
and the mastermind, financier and backers are never touched."

Data obtained by The Jakarta Post from the Banten Forestry
Office shows that in September 2003 alone, at least 19,692
million cubic meters of illegally cut timber entered Java from
Sumatra through Merak Port. The bulk of the timber originated
from Jambi (9.1 million m3), South Sumatra (4.3 million m3), Riau
(1.5 million m3) and West Sumatra (632,000 m3).

However, the head of the West Lampung Forestry Office,
Warsito, said his office was making serious efforts to protect
the forests against illegal loggers. But due to the limited
number of officers, many illegal loggers continue to go
undetected, he said.

"We have made efforts by forming a self-supporting security
unit involving nearby residents," said Warsito.

For example, authorities succeeded in detaining 13 trucks
laden with illegally cut timber from national parks in West
Lampung, Jambi and Riau during a seven-day operation in Rajabasa,
Bandar Lampung, last year.

The head of the South Bukit Barisan National Park, Tamen
Sitorus, said the park lacked the manpower to protect against
illegal loggers.

"We can only protect the forest sporadically as there are only
67 forest rangers," said Tamen.

Ideally, every 500 hectares of forest should be protected by
one forest ranger, so there should be 720 forest rangers to guard
the park's 360,000 hectares, he said.