Fiji’S Timbers

Conservator Urges Immediate Action

IN his annual report, made early in December, the Fiji Conservator of Forests, Mr. J. S. Smith, said that, although the Colony had ample timber for present requirements, steps should be taken at the earliest moment to replace the timber being used. The report stated further;— “After nearly 5 years of official exist ence, forestry in Fiji, is still in a very early stage of development, where it necessarily remains for the time being.

“As I have pointed out in previous re ports, exploration surveys of the Colony's forests have frequently been disappoint ing—that is, the amount of merchantable and accessible timber is much less than is popularly believed.

“Practically nowhere in the Colony to day, where logging is in process, is the timber being replaced by natural means, nor will it be replaced unless positive steps are taken to insure it. In the southern district, for example, for some 60 years now, some of the largest and most valuable forests in* the Colony have been exploited without the slightest re gard for the future, and they have vir tually disappeared in consequence. Yet any silvicultural work which can be done now will not bring timber to maturity for

at least forty—and more probably sixty or even eighty—years, and the problem which faces the Colony is therefore to find sufficient forests to provide timber during this intervening period of what is virtually forest reconstruction.

“Not only should such reconstruction be pressed forward vigorously as soon as the appropriate moment arrives, but until a reasonably accurate statistical picture of the Colony’s forest resources and rates of timber growth can be built up, it would be improvident to expand the existing sawmilling industry and still more so to give way to demands for the establish ment of an export timber trade.”

Elsewhere in his report, Mr. Smith says that, although the main forestry activity must be the improvement of existing natural forests, and not the establish ment of plantations of species indigenous to other countries, such plantations will nevertheless have a place in future pro grammes, as they will be necessary if cheap timber is to be available in the dry zones of Viti Levu, where there are no natural forests.

The Department has, therefore, in collaboration with Forests Departments overseas, investigated experimentally the possibility of establishing, among other trees, mahogany, teak, balsa and a num ber of the eucalypts.

Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Spark have arrived in Fiji from Australia. Mr. Spark will relieve Mr. T. M. Bryce as manager in Fiji for the Bank of New South Wales.