Indonesian Forestry Minister Predicts End Of Illegal Logging By 2009

[hatrack]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Sorry, where was I?

Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban says his ministry and related agencies are hopeful of eradicating illegal logging activities by 2009. That's about the same time that environmentalists are predicting much of Indonesia's remaining lowland forests will disappear if illegal logging is not stopped.

The key to Kaban's ambitious plan is the creation of an elite unit of rangers trained to confront illegal loggers: the Quick Reaction Forest Rangers Special Unit (Satuan Khusus Polisi Kehutanan Reaksi Cepat - SPORC). "Various endeavors are being carried out, including training for SPORC personnel in cooperation with the Police and the Navy," Kaban was quoted as saying Wednesday (4/1/06) by state news agency Antara. He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of 299 SPORC personnel at Pelabuhan Ratu in Sukabumi district, West Java province.

The Forestry Ministry aims to train a total of 1,500 SPORC personnel over the next four years and will assign them to regions prone to illegal logging. Most of the first 299 SPORC personnel were recruited from existing forest rangers and they underwent 38 days of special training in shooting, self defense and ambush skills.

Kaban said Indonesia loses around Rp30 trillion (about $3 billion) annually in revenue from illegal logging activities involving a total volume of 1 million cubic meters of timber. He claimed the volume of illegally logged timber had decreased up to 80% after the government declared war on illegal logging a year ago. Deforestation has reached around 2.8 million hectares annually, mainly to illegal logging, he added. He said 59.2 million hectares of the country's 120.35 million hectares of forests were in a critical condition.

EDIT

http://www.laksamana.net/read.php?gid=161

[ret5hd]

1. In other news, the Indonesian Ministry of Deserts and Prairies reports...

that they will need a much larger budget by 2009.