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SOUTH PACIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL CAMPAIGN NEWS

Action Alert--Solomon Islands to Allow Logging on "Alientated" Lands

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Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises

3/19/95

OVERVIEW & SOURCE

The Pactok project reports that through a legal loophole; up to

10% of the relatively tiny Solomon Islands may be logged.

Addresses for letters of protest are at the end. This item was

posted in econet's rainfor.general conference.

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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:

/** rainfor.genera: 155.0 **/

** Topic: Solomon Islands **

** Written 8:12 PM Mar 18, 1995 by robg@pactok.peg.apc.org in

cdp:rainfor.genera **

* Originally by dse, 90:677/103@Pactok

* Originally to robg, 90:900/990

* Originally dated 17 Feb 1995, 14:12

This week there have been two stories in the "Solomon Star"

about logging of "alienated" land. Solomon Islands has a unique

land tenure system, with about 90% of land being customarily

owned. However in the early 1900s the British Government who were

the colonial power at the time, gave various tracts of land to

plantation companies such as Lever Brothers.

Two areas which were alienated are Vaghena island in Choiseul

Province and Pavuvu Island in Central Province. Later in the 1960s

the British resttled Gilbertese people to Solomon islands and gave

them land in Vaghena. The original landowners of Vaghena are the

Volaikana tribe, who still own a large area of Southern Choiseul.

They are remarkably tolerant of the Gilbertese settlers who, being

in effect landless, have resorted to chronic over-exploitation of

saleable marine resources around Vaghena.

Now the Volaikana see that the governing Solomon Islands National

Unity and Reconciliation Party under Prime Minister Solomon

Mamaloni want to over-exploit land that is rightfully theirs. The

government have invited a foreign logging company "National Mutual

Ltd" to log Vaghena. There have been no negotiations with the

Volaikana or Gilbertese. As well as not benefitting financially,

the Volaikana are distressed by the potential danger to their

sacred ("tambu") sites and their "canoe trees" which they travel

to Vaghena to fell for dugouts. Pavuvu island is a similar story.

It was given to Levers at the beginning of this century.

Recently Levers have returned the land. However instead of

correcting the mistakes of the British, the present government

wants to log the island before giving it back to the landowners.

The foreign logging company and the government will have several

million dollars to share, but what about the landowners? A few

muddy roads and a clinic if they're lucky.

If you can help with these issues in any way please do so.

Letters/faxes to the PM and Minister for Forests expressing your

concern would be useful. Please copy to us. Addresses below:

Hon Prime Minister Solomon Mamaloni

Office of Prime Minister

PO box G1

Honiara

Solomon Islands

Fax 677 21608

Hon Alan Kamakeza

Ministry of Forestry, Environment and Conservation

PO Box G24

Honiara

Solomon Islands

Fax 677 21245

Development Services Exchange

PO box 556

Honiara

Solomon Islands

fax 677 21339

###RELAYED TEXT ENDS###

You are encouraged to utilize this information for personal

campaign use; including writing letters, organizing campaigns and

forwarding. All efforts are made to provide accurate, timely

pieces; though ultimate responsibility for verifying all

information rests with the reader. Check out our Gaia Forest

Conservation Archives at URL=

http://forests.lic.wisc.edu/forests/gaia.html

Networked by:

Ecological Enterprises

Email (best way to contact)-> gbarry@forests.org

Phone->(608) 233-2194 || Fax->(608) 231-2312