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Aktualisierung 2002-05-02
A decade of forest destruction
By MC Wong
Despite repeated promises to comprise with the International Tropical Timber Organisation's (ITTO) 1990 recommendation on the quotas of 9.2 million cubic metres of annual extraction for a sustainable logging system, Sarawak timber sector export increased 23%, amounting to RM6.23 billion in 1999, as compared with the previous year of RM 5.03 billion. The sector contributed 27.6% of the total RM22.574 billion of state export of the year.
ITTO's recommendation ignored and Sarawak's timber trade up again after the recession
31 March 2000 - Despite repeated promises to comprise with the International Tropical Timber Organisation's (ITTO) 1990 recommendation on the quotas of 9.2 million cubic metres of annual extraction for a sustainable logging system, Sarawak timber sector export increased 23%, amounting to RM6.23 billion in 1999, as compared with the previous year of RM 5.03 billion. The sector contributed 27.6% of the total RM22.574 billion of state export of the year.
ITTO had recommended the 9.2 million figure after an international mission came to Sarawak between 1989 and 1990 following widespread local and international protest against indiscriminate logging and how such unsustainable activities basically encroached into Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands.
It should however be noted that the 9.2 million figure cannot be taken as the cut-off point for sustainable logging since it has been 10 years when the recommendation was first made. With the recommendation being ignored every year and thus with much reduced forest areas, a new credible assessment is needed to determine a new figure.
The figures stated by the Sarawak Timber Association (STA) during its annual general meeting on 30th March, 2000, further revealed that logging is very much dictated by the market.
The average f.o.b (fares on board) price on plain plywood went up 28%, resulted in the export increase of 30% or RM 89 million over 1998 to a total of RM2,568 million. Similarly, while the sawlog price went up 15% (RM 391 per cubic metre), the trade increased 34% or RM596 million to RM2,336 million (surged 17% to 5,968 million cubic metres). Sawn-timber export fell by 6% to RM 770 million between the two periods due mainly to the 10% drop in the quantity exported (down 0.115 million cubic metres to 1,000 million cubic metres), (Borneo Post 15/02/2000)
Since the state's sawlog export quotas is 50% of the production, the overall extraction is about 12 million cubic metres for export purposes (excluding domestic consumption). This is still almost 3 million cubic metres above ITTO's 1990 recommendation.
The ITTO's mission proposed the quotas to be observed from 1990 onwards, However, the official records of logging in Sarawak continued to remain between 13 million cubic metres and 19 million cubic metres of annual production over the past ten years. (see chart Sarawak log Production 1970-98, below.)
Sources: Malaysian Timber Council MTC, Sarawak Timber
Association STA, Sarawak Tribune 21st April
2002
Since early 1990s, ITTO promised to boycott the trade in timber from non sustainable production as of January 2000. This international organisation of timber producing countries claims commitment to timber certification with national criteria and indicators (C&I).
The Malaysian chapters of Malaysian C&I (MC&I) was formulated in October, 1999 without NGOs endorsement. Local NGOs oppose to the concept of MC&I that applies to Permanent Forest Estate (PFE) only. In the forestry ordinances of Sarawak, indigenous people's customary rights are excluded in PFE.
If ITTO is serious in its commitment, the promise should be delivered by now. The sustainability of Sarawak timber industry could only be assessed if a overall evaluation on Sarawak logging industry is carried out with a strong political will.
Meanwhile, since late 1990s, sedimentation incidences especially at the two major rivers of Baram and Rajang surfaced as a result of logging. Both rivers are facing increasing navigation difficulties, with larger ship not being able to berth at Sibu, the main town of the Rajang basin (some 80 miles from sea), as it used to. Flooding is becoming a frequent event in Marudi, particularly in the last 2-3 years.
The environmental cost of logging is externalised as the people downstream begin to pay a heavy price in addition to the cost of polluted rivers.
On the other side in the interior of Baram, the indigenous people, especially the Penan, rejected the so called Sustainable Forest Management Project proposed by the German-Malaysia bilateral programme, FOMISS (Forest Management Information System Sarawak) which focuses on economic aspect that denials the participation and rights of the indigenous communities to forest resources.
IDEAL, Institute for Development and Alternative Living, Sibu/Sarawak, march 2000