Sandalwood

revival

The sandalwood trade, a major reason for a foreign presence in the South Pacific in the last century, is being revived in

Tonga.

The Tonga Chronicle reports that ‘sandalwood, one of Ton

ga’s most priceless culture

trees, is currently being

shipped to overseas markets in

large quantities at an alarming

rate for a very low price’. ’Anau Vuna, manager of Vuna and Tam Company Lim ited of Nukualofa, a sandal wood trader, said his firm

began exporting sandalwood

about seven months ago and

was operating profitably.

Forty workers were employed, he said, at a new factory at Halaleva. They were scraping the outer bark from the sandalwood leaving only the prized scented pith for export. Main supplies were being drawn from the small island of ’Eua.

The Tonga Forest Division has been doing its best in recent years to protect sandalwood and other culture trees.