Forest Crime

Loani FCA logging another bogus agriculture project?

On 21 Aug, 2024 By ACTNOW

A new logging operation in Milne Bay Province could be yet another example of a bogus agriculture project being used as cover for a large-scale forest grab.

The new logging operation began on Sideia Island earlier this year as part of the Loani Bwanabwana Integrated Agro-Forestry Project.

Operated by a Malaysian logging company with no previous agriculture experience, the project is promising 36,700 hectares of new agriculture planting, including balsa, cocoa, vanilla and rice.

Loani Bwanabwana Forest Clearance: Another Bogus Agriculture Project?

On 21 Aug, 2024 By ACTNOW

Community advocacy group ACT NOW! says a new logging operation in Milne Bay Province could be yet another example of a bogus agriculture project being used as cover for a large-scale forest grab.

The new logging operation began on Sideia Island earlier this year as part of the Loani Bwanabwana Integrated Agro-Forestry Project.

Operated by a Malaysian logging company with no previous agriculture experience, the project is promising 36,700 hectares of new agriculture planting, including balsa, cocoa, vanilla and rice.

Loani Forest Clearance: Another Bogus Agriculture Project?

Logging on Sideia: Absolutely no political will

On 01 Aug, 2024 By ACTNOW

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.

The timber industry in Papua New Guinea is beset with corruption and political interference with widespread illegal practices and human rights abuses across the sector.

Forest Clearing Authorities

A Forest Clearance Authority (FCA) is one of three types of logging licence that can be granted under the Forestry Act.

An FCA is only supposed to be used to authorise the clearing of trees from a discrete area of forest, which is being converted to agriculture or other land use development.

However, FCA licences are routinely being issued over far larger areas of forest than could ever be converted to agriculture and are being issued without the informed consent of local forest owners.

Illegal Logging

There is a very high risk that almost all logging occurring in natural forest areas in Papua New Guinea is illegal - as revealed in a Timber Legality Risk Assessment published ACT NOW!

The assessment is based on a comprehensive review of all the available literature, including the reports of official government inquiries, court cases, international organisations (such as the Royal Institute of International Affairs and the International Tropical Timber Association) and civil society groups.

Money Laundering and Tax Evasion

Illegal logging in Papua New Guinea represents a major money laundering threat as it generates very large illegal profits and it has a very high detrimental impact on the economy as well as the natural environment.

This is according to a money laundering and financing of terrorism risk assessment published by the Bank of Papua New Guinea.

Free Prior Informed Consent

Papua New Guinea's forest are collectively owned by local people whose informed consent is essential before a logging project can be lawfully approved.

However, although customary land rights are Constitutionally recognised and are protected in all laws, including the Forestry Act 1991, there is considerable and well documented evidence that these rights are routinely violated and that the PNG Forest Authority is failing to ensure the free, prior, informed consent of community forest owners to logging operations on their land.

Log export volumes

The PNG government has committed to ending round log export volumes by 2027, but it is not on track to meet it’s log export reduction goals as outlined in the Medium Term Development Plan IV.

In 2022, the Government announced its intention to phase out round log exports over the next five years and increase local downstream processing to promote greater employment, increase GDP and boost government revenues.

However, official log export data for 2023 shows exports of 2.2 million cubic meters, well over the full year limit set in the MTDP of 1.695 million cubic meters.

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