indonesian ramin ban petition

[Guest guest]

I have sent this so that anyone who is interested can sign up, if you would

like to be added to the petition please email your name and organisation, if

applicable. Many thanks, Nick Mole.

 

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Dear

 

Please find attached a petition in support of listing Ramin from Indonesia

on CITES Appendix III with a zero quota. This sign-on is also being sent to

organisations and individuals in Indonesia by Telapak Indonesia, our

Indonesian campaign partners, and in the USA by our US sister organisation,

EIA US.

 

Pressure is being unfairly applied to the authorities in Indonesia to

reverse the decision, and we believe that support from the international

community would be of great value in maintaining this important listing.

 

To sign-on on behalf of your organisation:

 

Indonesian organisations – email Hapsoro at Telapak - hapsoro

US organisations – email Geetha at EIA US - geetha

Other organisations – email Nick at EIA UK – nickmole

 

Thank you

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

 

Dave Currey

Environmental Investigation Agency UK

 

 

Petition in support of listing Ramin from Indonesia on CITES Appendix III

with a zero quota.

 

Ramin is a very rare species of tropical tree found only in peat swamp

ecosystems in Borneo and part of Sumatra. Its timber has a very high sales

value on the international market. Illegal logging, which has intensified

since 1998, now threatens the existence of this species. The national

economic crisis has led to the theft and smuggling of ramin overseas now

valued in millions of dollars. It is known that the illegal logging and

smuggling of ramin timber has been made possible by corruption involving

government officials, the military and members of the Indonesian parliament.

 

The fact that much of the logging of ramin occurs in protected regions, like

Tanjung Puting National Park, also threatens the existence of the orangutan,

Asia’s only Great Ape. The Indonesian government has taken steps to stop the

logging and the unauthorized trade in ramin timber. The Forestry Minister of

the Indonesian Republic temporarily halted the logging and sale of ramin

timber and also proposed that this species be listed in the CITES Appendix

III with a zero quota. Listing ramin in the CITES appendix III with a zero

quota will make it possible to prevent the trade in Indonesian ramin on the

international market, because this would provide the legal mechanism for all

member states of CITES to prevent imports of Indonesian ramin.

 

Nevertheless, certain groups within the timber industry have protested

against the government's actions. In making their protests these companies

have effectively admitted that they carry out illegal logging. They declare

that the potential loss to the state is US$500 million per year which is

equivalent to a volume of 500,000 cubic metres of timber per year (assuming

the highest price for ramin is US$1,000 per cubic metre). Meanwhile official

data from the Forestry Ministry indicates that the volume of the legal cut

for ramin for the year 2001 was only 24,000 cubic metres. This amount would

represent a highest possible income of only US$24 million. This simple

illustration shows that the volume of illegal ramin timber from these

companies is enormous.

 

We, the undersigned, declare that we:

 

· support and welcome a moratorium on the logging and trade in Indonesian

ramin timber

· support and welcome the listing of Indonesian ramin on CITES appendix III

with a zero quota as a means of controlling the illegal trade in ramin

timber on the international market

· criticize the unfounded protests from the timber industry who clearly do

not care about illegal logging in Indonesia.

 

 

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