Once cut, forever lost

Vanuatu

THE logging of tropical forests is an issue which has shifted from a position of relative obscurity the preserve of a few rugged individualists to one of international attention and the focus of powerful conservation lobbying.

Aid projects routinely have to pass an environmental protection “test” before they can be implemented and pressure is exerted on the Governments of develop ing nations to adopt a conservation policy. While the heightened environ mental consciousness of developed

nations is laudable, it has had the effect of masking the economic issues which are at least of equal importance in developing a sound conservation policy. A recent proposal to log on Malekula Island in Vanuatu provides an example which is relevant to other Pacific Island nations of a situation in which the economics of the logging venture should be carefully con sidered.

The indigenous forests of Vanuatu form an intricate mosaic of species which change in compositon from island to

island as a consequence of the vagaries of botanical migration and relative geologi cal age, tempered by the influence of periodic disturbances. They are charac terised by a low volume of merchantable timber per hectare, usually manifested in a few large trees growing in association with many smaller non-merchantable species.

As the area of forest is relatively small, the prospect of a sustainable industry is poor and the potential for over-exploitation very real. In addition, Malekula is the repository of some of the richest cultural heritage in Vanuatu which is character ised by the intimate association between man, his land, and the products of his land.

The first concept that must be conveyed with absolute clarity is that the native tree species of Malekula represent a non renewable resource and should be con sidered as such at the outset of any analysis. The land may remain in a forested state but the forest “capital”, represented by the mature individual specimens, will be permanently lost. To describe the forest as a renewable resource and thereby imply that it will return to its original biological composition, is mis

leading.

Traditional landowners take the forest for granted. It is so much a part of the fabric of their lives that it is simply unimagin able that it could cease to exist. For this very reason, they are often quite agree able to logging proposals which seem to be a sensible way to raise money from trees which are otherwise ring-barked and burnt to make way for gardens. The forest also represents the only readily identifi-

Contracts offered are often well below the real commercial value of the forest

able source of monet ary wealth for many land

owners and a contract offered by a logging company can be seen as “money for nothing” in this respect.

The fact that someone does not utilise a resource nor place any monetary value on it should not influence its value to someone who wants to utilise it. As a result, contracts offered are often well below the real commercial value of the forest.

Royalties which have been offered in the past for logging rights bear no relation to the real value of the logs as expressed by

their export price potential in the face of dwindling tropical hardwood resources.

Furthermore, the value of specific species and grades of wood-delivered in small quantities to carefully targeted end-users will continue to increase in the future.

Ifstumpage values were derived from the value of wood delivered to a port or mill (other than a mill owned by the logging contractor) less the reasonable cost of logging and cartage, environmental issues would take care of themselves.

Aid organisations also have a respons ibility to ensure that their assistance helps to foster conservation by providing access to low volume,. value-enhancing tech nology such a drying kilns, finger-jointers and veneer sheers.

The perception of indigenous forests as a “free” resource combined with a lack of dedicated landowner advocacy has re sulted in unrealistically low stumpages which have served to encourage logging for log exports or low value conversion to sawn timber.

The beneficial economic effects of logging in the national context as stated by the logging companies are run by non-citizen residents who have interests or obligations off-shore, so this is where the largest portion of revenue generated is chan nelled.

The landowners of Malekula have been recognised as the exclusive proprietors by Vanuatu’s constitution so are in a unique position to decide the fate of their forests.

To make rational decisions in a situation which has no relevance to their system of values and mores, they deserve to be

independently and sensitively advised

about the options available. They need not only a fair assessment of the value of their timber both now and in the future (should they choose to have it logged) but also an appreciation of the compensation to be expected if pressure is exerted for establishment of a reserve or national park on their land. It is presumptuous of those who campaign for conservation to assume that traditional landowners will have the same set of values and sense of perspective as themselves.

Conservation initiatives, (such as a com prehensive utilistaion policy aimed at maximising value-added processing in low volume enterprises) are excellent. For them to succeed however, they must address the economic distortions which exist in logging agreements. □