Within the 20-year period from 1994 to 2014, the country has lost millions of tons of hardwood due to illegal logging.
The Myanma Timber Enterprise suspended timber export from 2014 to 2016.
In Bago Yoma, which has witnessed the worst rates of deforestation in Myanmar, timber extraction has been suspended for a 10-year period to prevent deforestation.
Media reports have covered the seizure of illegally extracted timber from the country’s forests nationwide. This shows that illegal timber extraction still continues in the country.
According to information released by the Timber Enterprise, about 165,511 tons of timber was seized in 45 months from 2016 to November, 2019, and 23,610 culprits, including 59 foreigners, were arrested. Over 11,000 pieces of machinery were also confiscated during the same period. From October to November last year, over 4,430 tons of timber was seized along with 357 pieces of machinery, and 560 culprits were arrested. More than 20,000 tons out of the total 120,000 tons of timber seized was teak.
According to the reports, most illegal timber extraction areas are in Kayah State and Sagaing Region.
Meanwhile, a foreign media report stated that the Dutch authorities seized teak, which is widely used in luxury yachts, this month. The wood, originating from Myanmar, was sent to the Czech Republic from where it was funneled to the Netherlands.
The European Union controls imports of Myanmar teak tightly because of concerns about illegal extraction and overexploitation of natural forests.
In the past five years, several European companies have been taken to court for importing Myanmar teak without conducting due diligence.
The situation shows that there are loopholes though the Myanmar authorities have enforced forest conservation rules and regulations.
According to the Global Forest Watch Report, we lost 3.38 million hectares (more than 13,000 square miles) of tree cover between 2011 and 2018. In the past five years, almost all of the tree cover loss has occurred within natural forests, the data shows.
The Bago mountain range in south-central Myanmar is known as the “home of teak”, but it has, over the years, emerged as a hub for illegal logging. A study covering four reserved forests in the region found that forest area declined by over 40 per cent between 2000 and 2017. Despite a 10-year logging ban in place since 2016, local reports suggest illegal timber extraction continues.
To prevent deforestation and illegal timber extraction, we need to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to smuggling and officers indulging in malpractice and turning a blind eye to unlawful logging.
GNLM
