WWF: "Strict sanction for company involved in illegal clearing of ramin trees"

EoF Press Release / 12 December 2013
Felled ramin trees in an APP's supplier concession in Riau. (C)EoF, 2013

JAKARTA – WWF Indonesia urges Ministry of Forestry to follow up on a report published by Greenomics Indonesia yesterday ( Dec 10) and  take proper and strict actions for companies involved in felling and supplying ramin trees.

Greenomics Indonesia’s report titled “Investigation by Forestry Ministry Following Greenpeace Report Proves That Two APP Subsidiaries Involved In Felling And Supplying Ramin Logs” revealed two pulpwood plantation companies PT Rimba Hutani Mas (RHM) in South Sumatra and PT Kalimantan Subur Permai (KSP) in West Kalimantan, had illegally felled ramin logs and supplied them to feed Asia Pulp and Paper’s PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper mill in 2012. Greenomics revealed that 

Ministry of Forestry has had investigated the case in May 2012, however the result has never made public and appears to be closed.

Ramin (Gonystylus spp) is a valuable Asian tropical hardwood tree listed in Appendix II in CITES, which means commercial trading is strictly regulated. In Indonesia, felling, use and trade of Ramin should be authorized with legal permit from the Ministry of Forestry. Ramin is also listed as “vulnerable” in the IUCN’s red list.

“WWF calls the Ministry of Forestry to continue its investigation and apply strict sanction to company that proven violating regulations,” said Nazir Foead, Conservation Director of WWF Indonesia. “The Ministry of Forestry must not allow any company, including RHM and KSP, which strongly indicated in illegal clearing of natural forest and felling ramin logs for any new forest concession”.

According to Greenomics Indonesia’s report, both companies PT Rimba Hutani Mas and PT Kalimantan Subur Permai, found felling and supplying the Ramin did not have any legal permit to do so. The report is based on various legal documents obtained from the Ministry of Forestry following Greenpeace report on ramin in 2012.

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Link to report by  Greenomics Indonesia http://www.greenomics.org/docs/APP_illegal_ramin_(LowRes).pdf.

For further information:

Nazir Foead, Direktur Konservasi WWF Indonesia, nfoead@wwf.or.id, +62811977604

Tags

Kalimantan, Sumatra, Carbon stock, Biodiversity loss, Pulp & paper, APP, deforestasi, deforestation, EoF, greenomics, greenpeace, IUCN, KSP, Ministry of Forestry, pulp, pulp and paper industry, ramin, RHM, violation, WWF,