Sarawak to Collaborate with Kiwi Forestry Experts
Copyright 2001 BERNAMA THE MALAYSIAN NATIONAL NEWS AGENCY
December 3, 2001
KUCHING, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- Sarawak will collaborate with forestry experts from New Zealand to train workers in the timber-based industries in efforts to maintain sustainable forestry management.
Sarawak Forest Department Deputy Director Dr Lee Hua Seng said today that the state needed to look for foreign expertise as it now had few trained workers or the experts to train them.
"The government will give us time even though it is now mandatory for timber workers to undergo basic training in health and safety pertaining to the industry" he told reporters here after addressing a seminar on "Sustainable Forest Management : From Theory to Practice" organised by the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC). The Forest (Amendment) Ordinance, enforced by the Sarawak government last month, required timber licencees, contractors and sub-contractors to hire or engage only properly trained workmen for their logging operations.
Dr Lee said that the department was working closely with the Sarawak Timber Association (STA) and the Sarawak Timber Industries Corporation (STIDC) to enforce and meet the needs for such a trained workforce.
At present 700 chain-saw operators as well as trainers from the various logging companies were undergoing relevant courses and training in an on-going joint programme, he said.
He said the department would also seek a funding of US$100,000 from the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) to develop the third phase of its model forest management area (MFMA) in Mukah, Sarikei Division.
The funds would also enable it to carry out research on reduced impact logging, "helicopter logging" (logs are ferried by helicopters) and other related matters, he said.
He said the MFMA, covering 100,000 hectares, was set up following the ITTO recommendation to reduce timber harvesting in Sarawak's permanent forest to 9.3 million cubic metres per year. Phase two had just been completed, he said.
Dr Lee said natural forests covered more than 60 percent or 82.2 million hactares of the state's 12,398,500 hectares of land surface.