It has been nearly two years since a group of Madang residents
came together and formed the environmental group Asples Madang
(People of Madang) upon hearing that a third of the Province,
potentially over 439,000 hectares (239,000 hectares in approved
timber areas and 200,000 hectares still being surveyed), was
being approved as new industrial logging operations. This is
despite the past and current unrest surrounding JANT Pty Ltd of
Japans clearcutting of tropical forests to make cardboard boxes,
also located in Madang Province.
Of the five projects set to start over two years ago, only one,
the Sogeram project, is anywhere near actual logging
commencement. The others; Josephstaal, Biges, South Naru and Rai
Coast have lapsed to such an extent that it is highly doubtful
they will get going any time soon. All these projects were
scuttled by the landowners after awareness patrols and
conferences were carried out by Papua New Guinea nationals from
many PNG NGOs into the area. Such patrols hope to benefit from
the fact that indigenous peoples rights to the their customary
land is respected in law and practice in PNG. By carefully
showing the social and environmental effects of industrial timber
operations, Asples Madang and other groups seek to encourage
landowners to practice wise stewardship over their land.
Nowhere have we worked harder then against the 102,000 hectare
Josephstaal proposed timber area. The Korean company, Kosmo,
that has signed the contract with the bogus landowner company is
still plagued with troubles. The company has failed to pay the
required K675,000 in bond fees (bank accounts that in case of
bankruptcy will make sure the landowners and government get
royalties and taxes owed them) necessary to start the project.
Under PNG law, following the signing of the contract in September
of 1991, this was to occur within 1 month. However, some 8
months later, the company has not yet lodged the money. In
addition, the environmental plan submitted by the developer has
been found seriously lacking resulting in the National
government's Department of Environment and Conservation rejecting
the plan. Melanesian Solidarity is investigating possible legal
action in the case, and given the long history of corruption and
law breaking associated with this case, their is every reason
that litigation could be successful. In addition, Melanesian
Solidarity and Asples Madang are planning further patrols into
the area to liase with landowners.
The 60,000 hectare Rai Coast area, you may remember, kicked out
the loggers late last year after they had only been there for
three weeks. This was after the first Momase Landowner
Conference, held in the Gogol-Naru where JANT operates, showed
Rai Coast landowners their future of infertile land, polluted
waters and poor local people. Since then the pro-loggers have
had a chance to regroup, and have attempted to get a Philipine
logging company to now subcontract with the, once again, bogus
landowner company. However, there is much resistance in the area
in that the "landowner company" has only one shareholder, the
National member of parliament from the area. One area within the
TRP has recently gotten a wokabaut somil and Asples Madang is
currently helping them find a local market in the Madang area.
With a new company now trying to come in, it will likely be a
number of years before industrial logging could kick off.
The 9,000 hectare South Naru area is one of the areas where the
JANT company of Japan is trying to expand into. In a bold
"wokabaut somil intervention", Rainforest Information Centre,
Village Development Trust and Asples Madang have teamed up in
acquiring wokabaut somils from the Australian government to
implement a community forest project in the area. The agreement
between the villagers and NGOs are still being finalised,
however, the landowners are very excited with the chance to
pursue an alternative course to industrial logging. The sawmills
should provide the villagers with a low-impact alternative to
clearfelling the entire forest as was initially proposed by JANT.
At its worst, a wokabaut somil (small portable sawmills produced
in PNG) can clearcut 2 hectares compared to thousands in
industrial logging operations. At its best, which we hope to
achieve, the wokabaut somil shows potential for use in beginning
to define standards of sustainability. The area borders with the
Rai Coast TRP and these new sawmills could also be instrumental
in ending plans for industrial logging of the area.
Logging in the 12,000 hectare Biges area (recently increased in
size by adding another area of forest), which is just close to
Madang town and directly inland from pristine reefs, has been
halted for the time being. Asples Madang and Wau Ecology
Institute personnel have been working with the landowners and
attending village meetings where JANT's development proposal for
the area were presented. Two of the three communities in the
timber area have rejected JANTs proposal and the third area also
has many people in opposition. This decision by the Biges
landowners was based nearly entirely on the environmental effects
of clearcutting, and is a clear case study of local environmental
groups carrying out landowner awareness exercises which result in
empowered landowners saying no to ecocide.
Lastly, there is the 56,000 hectare Sogeram area which we are
presently urgently targetting in that final approval is near for
industrial logging by a Malaysian multi-national. However, the
contract which was drawn up is a rarity in that the landowners
interests and rights are well spelt out. The Malaysian company
is to construct a road network, schools, a hospital and all other
infrastructure before one tree is cut. The company is months
behind putting the road in, and the quality is not to contract
specifications. Landowners are indicating that the are not
pleased with the company and in that they own the timber permit
(unlike the Josephstaal case), they can ask the company to leave.
In addition, the contract allows any landowner to pull out at
their discretion.
The area only has 300 inhabitants in it. The Sogeram river
valley can only be reached through JANT's road network. First
logging the Sogeram must be done in order to give the only access
to the much larger Ramu River Valley, where preliminary surveys
are being done to mark out a proposed Middle Ramu Timber Purchase
Area of between 200,000-300,000 hectares.
Tenatively, we would like to put at least one of the sawmills
secured by RIC from the Australian government in this area. If
we can make some good development which can satiate the
reasonable development aspirations (i.e. medicines, school fees,
a bit of store foods) of these 300 people, we could possibly
preserve the Sogeram area and access to the lush Ramu River
valley just behind.
The Sogeram and Ramu River valleys harbour a tremendous amount of
wildlife and large primary forests. The rivers are full of
crocodiles, while the area between rivers is lush, deep, dark
jungle. If you drive down the new road just put into the area,
you will see a tremendous amount and diversity of bird life,
including birds of paradise. The area has been noted as an area
of tremendous biodiversity value by the PNG government.
If you are interested in further information concerning the
progressive NGO movement in Papua New Guinea in general or our
work here in Madang Province in particular, we encourage you to
check the conference "reg.newguinea" where Asples Madang provides
an up to the minute news service on PNG environmental issues. In
addition, the conference provides action alerts and funding
appeals which are a means whereby the international rainforest
movement can support on the ground initiatives, such as
sponsoring further landowner awareness patrol. Please feel free
to contact us at:
Asples Madang
P.O. Box 347
MADANG
Madang Province
Papua New Guinea
Phone: 675 82 3752
Fax: 675 82 3752
Email: peg:momase