[MPWG] Thailand to propose rosewood "ban"

Patricia_Ford at fws.gov Patricia_Ford at fws.gov
Tue Nov 20 14:53:48 CST 2007



http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/20Nov2007_news16.php

                                                                            
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 ILLEGAL LOGGING                                                            
                                                                            
 CITES will be asked to ban trading in rosewood                             
                                                                            
                                                                            
 APINYA WIPATAYOTIN                                                         
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
 The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is looking for ways to   
 convince members of Cites to ban the trading of rosewood, or payoong, a    
 much sought-after timber in the international market. The ministry         
 yesterday discussed the issue with officials of the Forest and National    
 Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation departments and police, so that     
 tougher measures could be introduced to fight illegal rosewood logging.    
                                                                            
                                                                            
 Saksit Tridech, permanent secretary for natural resources and environment, 
 said the ministry has prepared a briefing on Thailand's concerns about the 
 heavy poaching of rosewood in the country.                                 
                                                                            
                                                                            
 It was hoped it would gain support from members of the Convention on       
 International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), 
 an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure that    
 international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not       
 threaten their survival.                                                   
                                                                            
                                                                            
 The move comes on the heels of a series of crackdowns on illegal rosewood  
 logging.                                                                   
                                                                            
                                                                            
 The ministry will soon conduct a survey with the help of the Ministry of   
 Science and Technology, using satellite imaging, to find out the number of 
 rosewood trees in the country so that officers assigned on forest patrols  
 can protect them from log poachers, he said.                               
                                                                            
                                                                            
 A study by the ministry has estimated there were about 300,000 rosewood    
 trees left in the conservation zone. There are no records of rosewood      
 trees in the national parks.                                               
                                                                            
                                                                            
 Chalermsak Wanichsombat, chief of National Park, Wildlife and Plant        
 Conservation Department, cautioned that it may be difficult to get         
 approval from Cites members as many of the countries still have ample      
 supplies of rosewood and want legal trading in it to continue.             
                                                                            
                                                                            
 ''The immediate problem we face is that we can't prove that rosewood is at 
 risk of extinction,'' he said.                                             
                                                                            
                                                                            
 ''Some countries which sell the timber, such as Laos and Cambodia, will    
 definitely oppose the idea.                                                
                                                                            
                                                                            
 ''What we should do now is try to convince them that if the logging of     
 rosewood continues at this rate, it will soon disappear from the           
 forests,'' said Mr Chalermsak.                                             
                                                                            
                                                                            
 Illegal rosewood logging is on the increase due to strong demand from      
 China and Japan. Police have made hundreds of raids since October last     
 year in which over 50,000 logs of rosewood were seized and 527 people      
 arrested.                                                                  
                                                                            
                                                                            
 Most of the illegal timber was from the northeastern provinces of Ubon     
 Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, Yasothon, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Mukdahan.       
                                                                            
                                                                            
 The ministry yesterday set up a special task force to suppress and prevent 
 the smuggling of illegal timber with the cooperation of the Environment    
 Ministry, customs officials, police and governors. It has voiced           
 confidence that the partnership would be able to effectively curb illegal  
 logging. The task force's head office will be based in Si Sa Ket.          
                                                                            
                                                                            
 Yongyuth Yutthawong, acting environment minister, suggested that penalties 
 be toughened for illegal loggers, and a blacklist be drawn up of the       
 suspects both at the local and national levels.                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
 He said over 1,500 police would be deployed to closely monitor the illegal 
 trade, and new measures against illegal rosewood logging would soon be     
 forwarded for cabinet approval.                                            
                                                                            

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