David Mitchel / Eco Custodian Advocates

The idea of a tropical log export ban in PNG started in the 1990s with fifteen specific timber species.

Again in 2010 the Forest Minister Nama indicated that round logs exports to cease, in 2018 the then Prime Minister, O’Neil said no round log export by 2020, which PM Marape reiterated in 2019 and yet another Forest Minster Tomuriesa in 2020 said a ban on round log export by 2025.

Now in 2024 PNG is the greatest tropical round log exporter in the world with Malaysia’s exports decreasing, now second.

35 years of talk. 

Sideia logs stacked ready for export, 2024      
 
ECA made a return fieldwork to Sideia where an ‘Agro-forestry’ project is starting through a FCA (Forest Clearance Authority). This was with the Gotai ward member whose community wish for an alternative to logging in the placement of forest ‘gwala’.  

Image from Google Earth showing recent forest clearnce and road construction.

I went through the Agro-forestry plan and the 5-year Forest Clearance Plan that was issued without all landowner clan groups clearly being identified and giving agreement. This has led to a lot of uncertainty and dispute by landowners of logging entering their areas.

The Agriculture Permit was issued despite broad-scale soil mapping showing a lack of suitability for cocoa and no indication of Provincial Department of Agriculture capacity in vanilla expansion. And a 10x increase in proposed PNG balsa exports. 

Image: Road construction is of poor quality with no draining or culverts.

Also, the logging Code of Practice required in the Environmental Permit is clearly not being followed by the logger.

Where is the Conservation and Environment Protection Agency (CEPA), Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL), PNG Forest Authority in their prior diligence and checking what they approved?  

Absolute lack of due process by government agencies