Illegal Logging
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Transcript of Illegal Logging
INTRODUCTION
Decades of Illegal Logging, some countries and even provinces, have the same
problems related to the prevention of Illegal Logging, the same problem that has
never been resolved over the decades.
Different countries have different laws regarding to the Illegal Logging. It is
considered as a serious crime for the natural resources. Apart from the environment
destruction, Illegal Logging displaces wildlife and also people.
We have to admit, that in this modern days, Illegal Logging has afflicted
many parts of the country. Destroying wildlife, and livelihood of many people.
Threatening biodiversity and causing environmental hazards.
ILLEGAL LOGGING:
The DEFINITION
-Illegal logging is not a clearly defined term, but can be described as forestry
practices or activities connected with wood harvesting, processing and trade that
do not conform to law. Illegalities occur right through the chain from source to
consumer, the harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including corrupt means
to gain access to forests, extraction without permission or from a protected area,
cutting of protected species or extraction of timber in excess of agreed limits.
Illegalities may also occur during transport, including illegal processing and export
as well as misdeclaration to customs, before the timber enters the legal market.
-Illegal Logging is the practice of harvesting trees and transporting logs from
forestlands to wood-manufacturing facilities with out permission.
Other examples of illegal logging are:
Underreporting harvest volumes and tax payable
Ignoring selective cutting guidelines
Harvesting outside concession boundaries
Falsifying log transport documents
Accepting falsified log transport documents
Timber can also be considered illegal if the plantations are not properly managed.
This includes:
Clear-cutting natural forest, then failing to replant
Not planting at rates required to maintain long-term production
Replanting with low-quality species
Replanting at low density
Thus the definition covers many areas. Furthermore, discrepancies exist
between countries in defining illegality. The Royal Institute for International
Affairs states in its report that common definitions of illegality are needed if the
timber is to be effectively controlled.
Illegal logging is rife in all the major tropical timber producing countries. In
Indonesia over 70 per cent of log production is derived from illegal sources, which
is equivalent to 50 million cubic metres of timber every year.
-Illegal Logging is when a company or person cuts down trees for logs with out
permission or in a protected environment or when a logging company uses illegal
means to cut. For example clear cutting may be illegal in some areas and a logger
would clear cut.
THE EFFECTSUnlawful cutting of trees has devastating impact on the world’s forests. Its effects
includes declination of forest resources which causes loss of biodiversity,
instability and massive erosion of upland sail, serious damage to our river and
underground fresh water ecosystem, flood and fueling climate change.
In the Philippines, decades of Illegal logging contributed to the devastating
wrought of storms. With thousands of innocent people lost their lives due to floods
and landslides, and the blame has fallen on Illegal Loggers who have stripped
hillsides bare and turned green forest into death traps. This is a sign, that Illegal
Loggers have already dominion over the Philippine Forests.
Illegal Logging is the main cause of landslides, mudslides, flash floods, and
Global warming.
-There will be no mudslides if the mountains have adequate forest cover.
-There will be no Landslides if the forest is abundant of trees to holds the soil
to make it stronger.
-There will be no flash floods if we don’t remove the trees which sip the water
to prevent to harm the people.
Global Warming in mainly caused by too much carbon dioxide that traps
heats and making it more hot to melt the ice in North and South Pole. Trees use
carbon dioxide to make their food. If there are many trees, they will prevent carbon
carbon dioxide to go up in our atmosphere.
The three main situations of Illegal Logging.
- First in line are activities with pure criminal nature. This includes logging
without official permissions, timber theft, falsification of documents, usage of
violence against local inhabitants, gross law violation by authorities and
corruption.
- Next are mass illegal activities in forest by poor people, looking for
satisfaction of their basic needs - food and fuel. Some of these practices are forest
infringement, forest conversion for agricultural usage and illegal trafficking.
-Last are activities due to lack of law enforcement.
The consequences can be devastating: illegal and unsustainable legal
logging contributes to deforestation (directly and by opening forests up to other
destructive activities), destroying the world's greatest reservoirs of biodiversity,
and hastening climate change. It is directly implicated in "natural" disasters such as
landslides (e.g., the recent devastating landslides in the Philippines) and flooding.
Floods and landslides have been widely blamed on illegal logging.
Illegal logging is a pervasive problem throughout the world and unlawful
cutting of trees has devastating impact on the world’s forest. Its effects includes
declination of forest resources which causes loss of biodiversity, instability and
massive erosion of upland soil, serious damage to our river and underground
freshwater ecosystem, flood and fueling climate change. In the Philippines,
decades of illegal logging contributed to the devastating wrought by storms. With
thousands of innocent people lost their lives due to floods and landslides, as well as
all other ecological disasters through the years, blame has fallen on illegal loggers
who have stripped hillsides bare and turned green forests into death traps. Illegal
logging is a major factor in flood devastation of Philippines.
Furthermore, illegal logging contributes to deforestation and by extension
global warming, causes loss of biodiversity and undermines the rule of law.
These illegal activities undermine responsible forest management, encourage
corruption and tax evasion and reduce the income of the producer countries, further
limiting the resources producer countries can invest in sustainable development.
Illegal logging has serious economic and social implications for the poor and
disadvantaged. Furthermore, the illegal trade of forest resources undermines
international security, and is frequently associated with corruption, money
laundering, organized crime, human rights abuses and, in some cases, violent
conflict. In the forestry sector, cheap imports of illegal timber and forest products,
together with the non-compliance of some economic players with basic social and
environmental standards, destabilize international markets.
IN THE PHILIPPINES
Illegal logging a major factor in flood devastation of the Philippines
Decades of illegal logging, unusually high rainfall and geography have all
contributed to the devastation wrought by storms that have lashed the
Philippines.
With hundreds dead or missing in floods and landslides in Quezon, Nueva Ecija
and Aurora provinces, blame has fallen on illegal loggers who have stripped
hillsides bare and turned lush green forests into death traps.
Geography has played its part too. The Philippine archipelago of some 7,000
islands sits astride Southeast Asia's typhoon belt and is usually the first
country to be hit by typhoons from the Pacific Ocean.
Infanta, one of the hardest-hit areas, is usually the first port of call for an
average of 19 typhoons and tropical storms that hit the Philippines every year.
With many in the government blaming illegal logging for the current
disaster, Former President Gloria Arroyo ordered a nationwide crackdown.
"Illegal logging must now be placed in the order of most serious crimes
against our people,"
"The series of landslides and flashfloods that hit several parts of the
country should serve as a wake up call for us to join hands in preserving our
environment and stepping up reforestation."
"For years the department of environment and natural resources has
failed to go after the illegal loggers operating in many parts of the country,"
The country had still not learned the lessons from landslides and flooding in
1991 on the island of Leyte which left thousands dead.
"Illegal logging was found to be the main contributor to that disaster,"
Since the 1970s, the rapid depletion of timber stocks in the Philippines has
led to a shift in emphasis from timber harvesting and utilisation to protection,
development and conservation of forest land. The Master Plan for Forestry
Development outlines general goals of conserving forest ecosystems and genetic
resources, whilst meeting people’s needs for forestry products in a sustainable
manner, and promoting social justice.
A Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) programme is in place to
provide more equitable distribution of opportunities, income and wealth to local
people. The programme allocates tracts of state forest to communities to manage.
Community rights and responsibilities are agreed with the government through a
CBFM agreement.
Deforestation and land degradation are serious problems, caused by decades of
intensive logging, agricultural expansion, inequitable land distribution and failed
policies. The government established more than 270 protected areas, encompassing
more than 4.2million ha, and forest conservation areas now cover an estimated
2.7million ha. Logging is banned in old growth forests and on steeply sloping
areas, but a recent FAO study concluded that the government is struggling to
implement this.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recognises
that combating illegal logging requires strengthening forest protection measures
and law enforcement efforts, and monitoring the activities of illegal forest
occupants. The CBFM programme tries to engage illegal loggers in forest
protection measures.
In May 2008 the government instructed all governors to intensify efforts to combat
illegal logging and to arrest and charge illegal loggers in their provinces, and in
June 2008 shut down 60 illegal mini sawmills. Representatives from NGOs and
churches have called for more action against the loggers. However, there have
been suggestions that some regional authorities are complicit in illegal logging
operations.
Forests in the tropics have a rich biodiversity. More than fifty percent of all the
plants and animals in the world are to be found in the rainforests. More than 3500
species of plants and animals! The constantly high temperatures and the
continuously high humidity in the tropics make this biodiversity possible. The
temperature is in most tropical rainforests between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius.
Unfortunately, the forests are threatened. David Orr correctly observed that “ if
today is a typical day on planet earth, we will lose about 30,000 hectares of
rainforests, or 1200 hectares per hour, or 21 hectares per minute.” Worldwide only
twenty percent of the original tropical forests is left. The deforestation has to be
stopped to save the biodiversity and the productivity of the forest as a natural
resource. If not, there will be no rainforest left in 2015.
Illegalities may also occur during transport, including illegal processing and export
as well as misdeclaration to customs, before the timber enters the legal market. We
can separate "illegal logging" in three main situations. First in line are activities
with pure criminal nature. This includes logging without official permissions,
timber theft, falsification of documents, usage of violence against local inhabitants,
gross law violation by authorities and corruption. Next are mass illegal activities in
forest by poor people, looking for satisfaction of their basic needs - food and fuel.
Some of these practices are forest infringement, forest conversion for agricultural
usage and illegal trafficking. Last are activities due to lack of law enforcement.
Unlawful cutting of trees has devastating impact on the world’s forest. Its effects
includes declination of forest resources which causes loss of biodiversity,
instability and massive erosion of upland soil, serious damage to our river and
underground freshwater ecosystem, flood and fueling climate change. In the
Philippines, decades of illegal logging contributed to the devastating wrought by
storms. With thousands of innocent people lost their lives due to floods and
landslides, the worst among them being the tragedies in Ormoc, Leyte in 1991,
Aurora and Quezon Provinces in December 2004, and St. Bernard, Southern
Leyte last February 2006, as well as all other ecological disasters through the
years, blame has fallen on illegal loggers who have stripped hillsides bare and
turned green forests into death traps.
Are we blind or are we acting like a blind? The crime of illegal logging has
already destroyed much of the original forests in the Philippines. This rampant
illegal logging has afflicted many parts of the country – destroying the livelihood
of many Filipinos, threatening biodiversity and causing environmental hazards. A
decisive action is urgently needed to secure the future of our children. We must
oppose all forms of forest destruction and remain vigilant and committed to protect
our national patrimony.
· C ultural Transformation
Mudslides, especially in a national park, do not happen if the mountains have
adequate forest cover. Why were the trees removed? It is because illegal logging is
rampant. And why is it rampant? Because the culture of short-term benefit for
narrow individual interests is stronger than the culture to preserve the diverse
ecological and economic benefits of a primary forest. Because the culture of
corruption, benefiting powerful economic and political interests, is more powerful
than the culture of a country governed by decent behavior and an adherence to just
laws. Those who want to stop the hazards of illegal logging need to go beyond the
obvious. They need to go beyond paper calculations and policies and move into the
uncharted territory of cultural structures, resistance and transformation. Culture
may be hidden and invisible. But its workings nevertheless have an inexorable
logic that has large-scale societal impacts. A culture of destruction cannot simply
be wished away. One has to introduce a new and more powerful cultural
framework, including operational norms, to create the necessary development
infrastructure to overcome illegal logging and stop the hemorrhage of nation’s
coffers (Nicanor Perlas).
· E ducation
Environmental education is vital to the survival of the Philippines. The people need
to know that their actions are having a detrimental effect on the forests and
environmental regulations are necessary. A main problem with environmental
regulation is that people only see regulation as a limitation on their livelihood.
Environmentalists and government officials must show that regulation is actually
an attempt to preserve the forests to ensure that wildlife will continue to supply a
sustainable future. Unfortunately, environmental education is not wide spread.
Environmental education is needed to make people think about the future and ways
to prevent irreversible destruction of our forests.
·L egislation
Principle 11 of Rio Declaration on Environment and Development Provides that “
states shall enact effective environmental legislation. Environmental standards,
management objectives and priorities should reflect the environmental and
developmental context to which they apply. Standards applied by some countries
may be inappropriate and of unwarranted economic and social cost to other
countries, in particular developing countries.”
The current forestry policies are best interpreted and analyzed in relation to the
People’s Power Revolution (EDSA) in 1986 combined with the emergence and
upsurge of environmental consciousness and influential media (Fairman 1996).
Except for the Revised Forestry Code of 1975 (PD 705), most of the policies were
enacted after 1986. The 1987 Philippine Constitution, the highest law of the land,
lays down the tenet of natural resources management. The Executive Orders (EOs)
during the first year of the Aquino administration carried executive and legislative
mandates in support of forestry policies. The Republic Acts (RAs) by the
Philippine Congress from the Aquino to the Arroyo regimes reflect deeply rooted
concerns from the lawmakers and the executive branch on how the Philippines
could conserve its forest resources and support sustainable natural resource
development and management(www.fao.org).
How do the PNP Officers and
Department of Environment and
Natural Resources prevent the
Illegal Logging in the Municipality
of Gasan?
Marinduque is known as the heart of the Philippine, it is a small island in the
middle of the ocean, surrounded by the big provinces, including Mindoro,
Palawan, Batangas, Quezon province, and Romblon. Marinduque contains six (6)
towns, Boac, Mogpog, Sta. Cruz, Torrijos, Beunavista, and GASAN. And a place
of beautiful vast of landscapes and heavily forested mountain ranges.
Every morning, you awaken by the sound s of breeze, and the flowing river,
and the song of the birds above as a soothing lullaby. But unfortunately, the forest
is threatened.
On all sides of the world, we can see violence, poverty, graft and corruption,
pollution, deforestation, and over population. Marinduque is one of those provinces
in the country that suffers in this kind of deplorable condition.
Forest in the tropics has a rich biodiversity. More than fifty percent of all the
plants and animals in the world are to be found in the rainforest. But unfortunately,
worldwide, only twenty percent of the original tropical forests is left caused by the
unstoppable deforestation.
AN INTERVIEW
According to Dr. E. Arevalo
(Biodiversity Observation Center)
Marinduque is prone to be landslide area, and the center for Deforestation
activities. One that causes deforestation is “Mass Illegal Activities”, because this
province is one of the poorest provinces in the country.
In the town of GASAN, forest infringement is one of the activities of
GASEÑOS. They convert the forest into agricultural usage as their primary source
of income.
Dr. E Arevalo added: The local government of the town has developed some
parks and other projects that may destroyed the ecosystem. Cutting down some
trees and stripped the side of some mountains just to develop a national park as a
tourist spot. And they called it as “Beautification Project”.
According to the P.N.P. officer:
They are aware of Illegal Logging activities in some areas in the town of GASAN.
Moving the logs across the sea, and bring out to the wood-manufacturing
facilities. But the question is how they would stop these activities if the people
behind the Illegal Logging are connected to the influential and political personnel?
They Added: Farmers and other native people in Gasan have lack of
education and information about Logging activity. They are committed in all
forms of forest destruction.
“KAINGIN” is the number one activity of the native settlers. They cut
trees and burn the top of the mountains, just to plants vegetables, and all
kinds of plants that support their daily needs.
They also added: One of the main sources of income of the GASEÑOS is
fishing, and they use small boats or canoes. Boats are usually made of large,
heavy, thick woods. And the tendency of making boats is cutting old and thick
trees at the forest. This will be a cumbersome in the prevention of Illegal
Logging.
According to Wikipedia:
If Illegal Logging activities and deforestation continues, around the
world, we will lose about 30,000 hectares of rainforest, or 1200 hectares per
hour, or 21 hectares per minute.
The deforestation has to be stopped to save biodiversity and the productivity
of the forest as natural resources. It not, there will be no rainforest left in 2015.
The DUTIES OF THE P.N.P.(Philippine National Police)
The Philippine National Police or P.N.P. also has duties and important roles to
define in terms of protecting the environment. As crime busters, P.N.P. has also the
power to control the Illegal Logging. They have the rights to blockade the ports
and even highways to holds tractors, trucks, and barges and ships that carried logs.
But unfortunately, due to lack of law enforcement, and in political issues,
P.N.P. has always failed to go after the illegal loggers operating in the province.
The crime of illegal logging has already destroyed much of the forest in the little
province, especially in some area in the small town of Gasan. It is already afflicted
the town, specially the forest.
P.N.P. must oppose all forms of forest destruction, and remain vigilant and
committed to protect the national matrimony. The P.N.P. officials also have duties
to educate people about the effects of Illegal Logging in the environment. People
needs to know how to preserve the forest to ensure that wildlife will continue to
supply a sustainable future.
They must show the people that their actions are having detrimental effects
on the forest, and P.N.P. should issue an environmental regulation.
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT
AND NATURAL RESOURCES
(DENR)
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources or DENR, is must on the
top who oppose the illegal activities in terms of destructions of the Environment.
In the case of Illegal Logging. They have the rights to
IN THE PHILIPPINES
Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of
timber in violation of national laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal,
including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without
permission or from a protected area; the cutting of protected species; or the
extraction of timber in excess of agreed limits.
Illegalities occur right through the chain from source to consumer, the
harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including corrupt means to gain access
to forests, extraction without permission or from a protected area, cutting of
protected species or extraction of timber in excess of agreed limits. Illegalities may
also occur during transport, including illegal processing and export as well as non-
declaration to customs, before the timber enters the legal market.
· Love of Nature
In the Orthodox temples people sing, trying to convince God that He is “forbearing
and merciful”… But would it not be better if they give up this useless occupation
and start living in accordance with God’s Principle of Love themselves? But this is
impossible without Compassion for all people and every living creature, including
ants, worms, plants, and many others… (Vladimir Antonov)
Among all creatures, humans are the only ones made in God’s image and have
been given the right to have dominion over all His creations (Book of Genesis).
Being the most intelligent and gifted with reason, humans are capable of
manipulating creation to their own advantage. Yet, creation exists not to be ravages
or abused but to be taken care of. Humans cannot exist without nature. They are
co-natural with the environment they live in. If the environment they live in is
destroyed, with it will go Homo Sapiens.
Earth is a very small part of the universe, but it is our home. It provides the
resources that support our modern society and the ingredients necessary to
maintain life such as trees. We must learn to love, conserve and protect it.
Vowing to put a stop to deforestation, President Arroyo ordered yesterday the
combined forces of the police and the military to put illegal loggers and their
alleged financiers out of business.
"Illegal logging must now be placed in the order of most serious crimes against our
people," the President said in a statement. "The series of landslides and flashfloods
that hit several parts of the country should serve as a wake-up call for us to join
hands in preserving our environment and stepping up reforestation."
Lawmakers, on the other hand, took it further by saying illegal logging
masterminds should pay with their own lives for the massive death brought about
by "their nefarious activities."
"The tragedies caused by illegal logging should serve as a basis for the meting of
death penalty on those responsible for abusing our environment," said Davao
Oriental Rep. Mayo Almario.
Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo noted existing laws have not stopped illegal
logging, adding that a "reward system" should be put in place to help authorities
curb illegal logging.
"We have to protect not only our environment but also the lives of our people," he
said.
Illegal logging has caused deforestation in the past decades and has been
exacerbated by a rapidly growing population and urbanization.