Illegal logging

Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of national laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission or from a protected area; the cutting of protected species; or the extraction of timber in excess of agreed limits (see Box 1).

Illegalities may also occur during transport, such as illegal processing and export; fraudulent declaration to customs; and the avoidance of taxes and other charges.

The problem

* A joint UK-Indonesian study of the timber industry in Indonesia in 1998 suggested that about 40% of throughout was illegal, with a value in excess of $365 million. [ Indonesia-UK Tropical Forestry Management Programme (1999) Illegal Logging in Indonesia. ITFMP Report No. EC/99/03 ] More recent estimates, comparing legal harvesting against known domestic consumption plus exports, suggest that 88% of logging in the country is illegal in some way. [ Greenpeace (2003) "Partners in Crime: A Greenpeace investigation of the links between the UK and Indonesia’s timber barons". See http://www.saveordelete.com] Malaysia is the key transit country for illegal wood products from Indonesia. [ Environmental Investigation Agency and Telepak (2004) "Profiting from Plunder: How Malaysia Smuggles Endangered Wood". ]
* In Brazil, 80% of logging in the Amazon violates government controls. [ WWF International (2002) The Timber Footprint of the G8 and China ] At the core of illegal logging is widespread corruption. Often referred to as ‘green gold’, mahogany can fetch over US$1,600 m-3. Illegal mahogany opens the door for illegal logging of other species, and for widespread exploitation of the Brazilian Amazon. Recent Greenpeace investigations in the Brazilian state of Pará reveal just how deeply rooted the problem remains. No reliable legal chain of custody exists for mahogany, and the key players in its trade are ruthless. [ Greenpeace (2001) "Partners in Mahogany Crime: Amazon at the mercy of gentlemen’s agreements". ]
* The World Bank estimates that 80% of logging operations are illegal in Bolivia and 42% in Colombia, [ World Bank (2004) Forest Law Enforcement ] 10 while in Peru, illegal logging equals 80% of all activities. [ The Peruvian Environmental Law Society (2003) "Case Study on the Development and Implementation of Guidelines for the Control of Illegal Logging with a view to Sustainable Forest Management in Peru".]
* Research carried out by WWF International [ WWF International (2002) "The Timber Footprint of the G8 and China".] in 2002 shows that in Africa, rates of illegal logging vary from 50% for Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea to 70% in Gabon and 80% in Liberia – where revenues from the timber industry also fuelled the civil war.
* WWF estimates that illegal logging in Russia is at least 20%, reaching up to 50% in its far eastern regions. [ WWF press release, 30 March 2004. ]

Political processes

African FLEG (AFLEG)

The AFLEG Ministerial Conference was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon in October 2003. The meeting drew together ministers and stakeholders from Africa, Europe and North America to consider how partnerships between producers and consumers, donors, civil society and the private sector could potentially address illegal forest exploitation and associated trade in Africa.

The Conference was the second regional FLEG, following East Asia, and resulted in the endorsement of a Ministerial Declaration and Action Plan for AFLEG, as well as a broad range of informal implementation initiatives.

East Asia FLEG

The East Asia FLEG Ministerial Conference took place in Bali in September 2001. The Conference brought together nearly 150 participants from 20 countries, representing government, international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector. The event was co-hosted by the World Bank and the Government of Indonesia.

The meeting included detailed technical discussions of forest law enforcement in relation to governance, forest policy and forest management as well as ministerial engagement.

The Conference's primary aims were to share analysis on forest law enforcement; explore priority issues of forest law enforcement, including illegal logging in the East Asia region, among senior officials from forest and related ministries, NGOs and industry representatives; and commit to action at the national and regional level.

European and North Asia FLEG

The ENA FLEG Ministerial Conference was held in Russia in November 2005. In May 2004, the Russian Federation announced its intention to host the Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (ENA FLEG) process, supported by the World Bank. A preparatory conference was, held in Moscow in June 2005, and the final Ministerial conference in St. Petersburg on 22-25 November 2005.

The conference brought together nearly 300 participants representing 43 governments, the private sector, civil society and international organisations. It agreed to the St. Petersburg Declaration on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance in Europe and North Asia. The Declaration includes an indicative list of actions, intended to serve as a general framework for possible actions to be undertaken by governments as well as civil society.

The conference took place as the UK prepared to pass the G8 Presidency to Russia. As Valery Roshchupkin, Head of the Federal Forestry Agency of the Russian Federation, confirmed, illegal logging would be of special importance for Russia as the G8 President and for the next G8 Summit, also scheduled to be held in St. Petersburg.

EU FLEGT Action Plan

In May 2003 the European Commission presented an action plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). This marked the beginning of a long process by which the EU aims to develop and implement measures to address illegal logging and related trade.

References

ee also

*Environmental vandalism
*List of environmental issues

External links

* [http://www.illegal-logging.info/ The illegal logging info site]
* [http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/docs/_ref/findoutabout/logging/index.htm CIFOR site on illegal logging]
* [http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/publications/pdf_files/events/Illegal-logging.pdf Monograph on policy options to reduce illegal logging]
* [http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/publications/pdf_files/Books/BTacconi0401.pdf Monograph on certification and illegal logging] European Union
* [http://www.fern.org/pubs/reports/facing_reality.pdf Facing Reality: How to halt the import of illegal timber in the EU (2004)]
* [http://www.fern.org/media/documents/document_1587_1588.pdf Controlling imports of illegal timber: Options for Europe (2002)]
* [http://ec.europa.eu/development/Policies/9Interventionareas/Environment/forest/flegt_en.cfm The EU Action Plan on FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade)]
* [http://www.loggingoff.info Online Resource for Information on FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreements]
* [http://www.fern.org/campaign_area_extension.html?clid=3&id=2782 FERN Illegal Logging Campaign]
* [http://www.globalwitness.org/pages/en/.html Independent Forest Monitoring - Global Witness] America
* [http://www.talailegal-centroamerica.org/eng_index.htm Illegal logging in Central America]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/4351863.stm US blocks forest protection plan]
* [http://www.cserge.ucl.ac.uk/Illegal_Logging.pdf Paper on Indonesian Illegal Logging] Asia
* [http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/forests/app-illegal-logging-in-yunnan/ Illegal logging in Yunnan (Greenpeace China)]