(MY) timber and agarwood

[Guest guest]

Rangers under fire over stolen timber - New Straits Times

23 Nov 2006

Ahmad Fairuz Othman

 

 

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ALOR STAR: What were four state forest rangers doing while illegal

loggers took off with RM30,000 in timber from the Gunung Inas forest

reserve?

 

Why did they ignore two complaints from villagers of illegal felling of timber?

 

It is learnt that State Forestry Department director Kasim Osman is

furious about the felling of 22 trees a mere six kilometres from their

station.

 

Sources said on both occasions, the rangers aborted their visit to the

alleged locations blaming treacherous terrain and soggy ground.

 

Kasim was clearly embarrassed yesterday when he and 10 journalists

easily gained access to a two-hectare site in the forest as illegal

loggers had built a dirt road to it.

 

He confirmed that the rangers had been told to submit a report on the

theft as soon as possible.

 

" Someone must be held responsible for the theft, " he said, adding that

a police report had been lodged on the illegal logging.

 

He declined to say whether disciplinary action would be taken against

the rangers.

 

He said preliminary investigations showed that experienced loggers

were involved as they had carried out extensive land clearing to reach

the site.

 

Kedah has 190,000 hectares of forest but only about 2,300 hectares are

open for logging annually.

 

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Malaysia's fragrant wood export in danger -New Straits Times

23 Nov 2006

 

 

 

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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must justify its 2007 export quota of fragrant

wood to the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or face a temporary

suspension of exports.

 

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has until next week to

explain its 200- tonne quota of gaharu produced from Aquilaria

malaccensis to CITES, the body that governs the trade of protected

species like the A. malaccensis.

 

Before any country issues an export permit for protected species, its

own scientific authority must advise that the export will not harm

survival of the species and specifies the quota.

 

The CITES secretariat and other member countries are informed of the

maximum amount (quota) and can question it.

 

Gaharu, or agarwood — one of the most expensive types of wood in the

world — is listed under Appendix II of CITES, which lists species of

plants that could become endangered if trade in them is not controlled

or monitored.

 

Gaharu is highly valued for its fragrance, used in the Middle East and

in traditional Chinese medicine.

 

Malaysia and Indonesia are the world's largest producers of agarwood

for the legal trade, but experts say their sale worldwide is severely

under-reported.

 

A ministry spokesperson said its 2007 export quota was determined

based on the fourth National Forestry Inventory, but added that the

figure hadn't been finalised.

 

" At a meeting in Geneva, many thought Malaysia's export quota was far

too high, " CITES' flora scientific officer Milena Schmidt told the New

Straits Times.

 

" Malaysia was asked for a report. If the export figure is not well

justified, the committee will ask the country to reduce it.

 

" But if the report doesn't arrive in the next few days, the Plants

Committee will not have enough time to evaluate it. Then there will be

a temporary suspension, effective Jan 1, " she said, adding that the

suspension would come up for review in 2008. — By Elizabeth John