Papua New Guinea to Impose Moratorium on New Logging and Review Old

VICTORY & ACTION ALERT

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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org

http://forests.org/ -- Forest Conservation Archives

http://forests.org/pngrecent.html --

Papua New Guinea Rainforest Conservation News

12/26/99

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY

The Papua New Guinea (PNG) government has announced moves to impose a

moratorium on all new forest logging concessions, extensions and

plantations. In his budget speech, Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta

committed the government to the moratorium and to proceed with a

review of all existing logging licenses. This is a tremendous victory

for the people of PNG, its rain forests, and the country's long-term

development potential. A small but dedicated group of local forest

conservation advocates and international supporters deserve praise.

The challenge will now be to ensure that the moratorium is indeed used

as an instrument to reign in an out of control forest sector; and is

not halted prior to implementation, overturned by a timber industry

lobbying and propaganda, nor undercut with exceptions and weak

implementation (as was the case with a previous moratorium in the

early 1990s). It is now time for implementation with government

assistance of a different forest management paradigm, that has been

developed over the last decade in PNG by civil society, and which

emphasizes community forestry management that strives for ecological

sustainability while maximizing social benefits.

It is very important that Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta be

congratulated for his courageous and forward-looking decision. Please

share your thoughts with him regarding the importance of the forest

moratorium being fully implemented.

Hon. Sir Mekere Morauta, MP

Prime Minister for Papua New Guinea

Office of the Prime Minister

PO Box 639

WAIGANI

Papua New Guinea

Fax: 675 (country code) 327 7328

Email: primeminister@pm.gov.pg

What a wonderful holiday gift--a second chance for the largest intact

tropical ancient forest in the Asia Pacific region, and the third

largest on the planet! Survival of this area as an ecologically

intact tropical wilderness bioregion is critical for local peoples'

well being, as well as regional and global ecosystem processes.

g.b.

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ITEM #1

Title: Greenpeace praises forests moratorium

Source: The Independent

Date: 12/21/99

THE government's move to impose a moratorium on all new forest

concessions, extensions and plantations has been applauded by an

international movement, Greenpeace.

The movement's forests (PNG) specialist Brian Brunton said this is a

major development in the struggle to protect the world's ancient

forests and biodiversity. "It shows great leadership by the PNG

government and sets the stage for responsible long term management of

the nation's economy and environment," Mr Brunton said.

PNG contains the largest intact tropical ancient forest in the Asia

Pacific region and the third largest on the planet. Almost half of the

country's accessible forests are already committed to industrial

logging. Mr Brunton said the moratorium will help clear the way for

diversifying the sector and investing in a transition to small and

medium scale, locally-controlled forest management.

He also appealed to the international community to help the PNG

government achieve this transformation of forest management.

"International donors, especially the Australian government, must

provide grants to help PNG move away from industrial logging and to

get through what will be a challenging time as a result of this

decision.

"We believe powerful logging interests will put pressure on the

government to reverse the moratorium, so international support is

critical to help the government hold its ground.

"Around the world, and especially in PNG, forests should be a resource

for people, not profits," said Brunton.

ITEM #2

Title: WWF lauds moves for stricter forestry laws

Source: The National

Date: 12/17/99

PORT MORESBY: The World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature believes in

empowering resource owners to achieve conservation and sustainable use

of their resources.

The coordinator of WWF's PNG program, Kilyali Kalit, said landowners

in areas set down for logging under the previous Skate government can

breathe a sigh of relief as a result of the Government's decision to

impose a moratorium on new logging concessions and review all existing

logging licences.

Mr Kalit said the WWF thanked the Government for acknowledging, in the

recent budget, that corrupt practices were undermining environmental

sustainability in the forestry industry.

In his budget speech, Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta committed the

Government to introducing an immediate moratorium on all new forestry

licences, extension and conversions and to proceed with a review of

all existing licences.

He said this would "ensure that proper procedures are followed, that

logging practices are not carried out in an unsustainable way and that

landowners get their share of benefits from resource use."

Mr Kalit said for far too long, logging had been carried out in an

unsustainable way, with landowners being left only the crumbs from the

pie.

"The Government must be commended for restoring the log export tax and

now, imposing this moratorium on new concessions," Mr Kalit said.

"The next step is to review existing policies and guidelines for

sustainable forest management. The current policy is weak because it

gives far too much emphasis to the industrial logging sector, operated

by multinational corporations.

"The Government needs to place equal or more emphasis on eco-forestry

or small-scale forestry because it is far less destructive to the

environment and returns far more of the benefits to the local

community."

Mr Kalit said the Constitution upholds customary tenure and access to

natural resources so it is only proper that resource owners be better

informed about what is happening to their forests so that they can

identify and develop their resources in an ecologically sustainable

and socially beneficial way.

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