You Are Here:
The premier of Solomons Makira Ulawa Province, Stephen Piringsau, is
under pressure to help landowners stop controversial logging operations
in the province.
The logging is destroying forest resources, says a community spokesperson. "Our main water source is polluted as a result of the operation. We are suffering and we don't know what to do. We believe the only solution is to revoke the company licence, to protect our forest resources, including water supply and traditional land and customs."
Landowners from wards 10 and 11, in the affected region, argue that they were not consulted by the logging company, CTP International.
Greenpeace Solomon Islands campaigner, Geoff Dennis, says, "The first indication many of the affected communities had that their land had been handed over to the logging company was literally when the bulldozers arrived. It appears that only a few selected people claiming to be sole landowners of both wards attended the timber rights hearing in Maniwiriwiri last September."
Greenpeace estimates that 90 per cent of community leaders and landowners in the allocated logging area were not consulted by the logging company.
"Logging activities here in the Solomons is an urgent national issue," says Geoff Dennis. "Failure to follow correct procedures of consultation by logging companies operating in the Solomon Islands is common practice and communities and forest ecosystems have long been victims of such activities. It is essential that our government and responsible authorities monitor the activities of logging companies and ensure agreed forest policies and practices are strictly adhered to."
Addressing hundreds of peaceful protesters at the protest rally, Premier Piringsau accepted the petition. He promised to consider supporting community demand for the Solomon Islands government to revoke the logging licence.
Following the rally, 400 people from 38 communities attended a two-day workshop by local NGOs (including Greenpeace) to increase awareness of customary land rights, land management planning, legal processes and steps required by any logging company before they are permitted to operate.
THE FUTURE OF SOLOMONS' FORESTS
Solomon Islands is home to the last remaining forests in the eastern part of the Paradise Forests. In 2004, over one million cubic metres of logs were cut here, according to the Central Bank of Solomon Islands. This is four times the sustainable yield of the remaining forests (which is 255,000 cubic metres per year, as calculated by AusAid, the Australian Agency for International Development, October 2003).
At this rate, the forests will be logged out by 2015.
The logging is destroying forest resources, says a community spokesperson. "Our main water source is polluted as a result of the operation. We are suffering and we don't know what to do. We believe the only solution is to revoke the company licence, to protect our forest resources, including water supply and traditional land and customs."
Landowners from wards 10 and 11, in the affected region, argue that they were not consulted by the logging company, CTP International.
Greenpeace Solomon Islands campaigner, Geoff Dennis, says, "The first indication many of the affected communities had that their land had been handed over to the logging company was literally when the bulldozers arrived. It appears that only a few selected people claiming to be sole landowners of both wards attended the timber rights hearing in Maniwiriwiri last September."
Greenpeace estimates that 90 per cent of community leaders and landowners in the allocated logging area were not consulted by the logging company.
"Logging activities here in the Solomons is an urgent national issue," says Geoff Dennis. "Failure to follow correct procedures of consultation by logging companies operating in the Solomon Islands is common practice and communities and forest ecosystems have long been victims of such activities. It is essential that our government and responsible authorities monitor the activities of logging companies and ensure agreed forest policies and practices are strictly adhered to."
Addressing hundreds of peaceful protesters at the protest rally, Premier Piringsau accepted the petition. He promised to consider supporting community demand for the Solomon Islands government to revoke the logging licence.
Following the rally, 400 people from 38 communities attended a two-day workshop by local NGOs (including Greenpeace) to increase awareness of customary land rights, land management planning, legal processes and steps required by any logging company before they are permitted to operate.
THE FUTURE OF SOLOMONS' FORESTS
Solomon Islands is home to the last remaining forests in the eastern part of the Paradise Forests. In 2004, over one million cubic metres of logs were cut here, according to the Central Bank of Solomon Islands. This is four times the sustainable yield of the remaining forests (which is 255,000 cubic metres per year, as calculated by AusAid, the Australian Agency for International Development, October 2003).
At this rate, the forests will be logged out by 2015.
