Malaysia told to act on timber smuggling

Malaysia told to act on timber smuggling

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia has asked Malaysia to deal with those smuggling ramin
from Indonesia, following its recent registration in Appendix 2
of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES).

Growing only in swampy areas of Indonesia and Malaysia, ramin
(Gonystylus spp.) has long been considered an endangered species.

Indonesia banned in 2001 the logging and export of ramin and
placed it in Appendix 3 of CITES, which means Indonesia has
imposed a comprehensive ban on the ramin trade.

An undercover investigation by non-governmental organization
Telapak and British-based Environment Investigation Agency (EIA)
revealed early this year that Malaysia has become the hub of the
ramin trade, receiving thousands of tons of illegally logged
Indonesian ramin every year, and selling it to unsuspecting
consumers around the world.

With ramin fetching up to US$1,000 per cubic meter on the
international market, Ramin is used to make everything from baby
cribs and pool cues to picture frames and decorative trim.

Koes Saparjadi, the director general of forest protection and
natural conservation with the Ministry of Forestry, said over the
weekend that all signatory countries of CITES were obliged to
protect the endangered ramin trees.

"It is required of all of us that we are not involved in the
trade of ramin wood and ramin products, which could push the
endangered species to extinction," Koes said.

During the recently concluded CITES meeting in Bangkok,
Indonesia successfully pushed to move ramin from Appendix 3 to
Appendix 2 of CITES, forcing signatory countries -- either
producer or consumer countries -- to ban the trade of ramin and
ramin products. Malaysia initially opposed the proposal, but
later supported it.

Appendix 3 requires the countries of origin of endangered
species to prevent their trade, while Appendix 2 obliges both
producer and consumer countries to ban the trade.

Koes said Indonesia, as the "home country" of ramin, would
impose a quota and certification for the sale of ramin and its
products.

Indonesia banned in 2001 the sale of ramin, a blond tropical
hardwood, and registered it under CITES Appendix 3 to curb the
illegal trade. Malaysia had taken exception to the clause on
ramin.

Currently, Indonesia only recognizes one timber company in
Riau as the exporter of ramin as it cultivates the trees, rather
than logging them in forests.

The population of ramin, which is mostly found in Kalimantan
and on the eastern coast of Sumatra, continues to decrease. Data
from the Ministry of Forestry reveals that in 1994 the production
of ramin in the country reached 665,245 cubic meters, while this
year it recorded 8,000 cubic meters.

According to Telapak and EIA, an illegal Malaysian logging
syndicate was involved in the smuggling of ramin from Indonesia
to the neighboring country.

The ramin wood was allegedly smuggled from Sumatra to Pasir
Gudang Port in Johor Baru, Malaysia, to be made into consumer
goods for export to Hong Kong and Shanghai, before finding its
way to Europe and the United States.

Telapak and EIA found that around 4,500 cubic meters of ramin
wood was smuggled monthly from Sumatra to Johor Baru at a buying
price of US$20 per cubic meter, while smugglers sell processed
ramin wood for $700 per cubic meter.