Dear Editor,
The arithmetic presented by Minister Robert Persaud (‘IDB forest project kicks off,’ Kaieteur News, November 13, 2008) for the forest area annually logged and its production obscures rather than reveals the unsustainable forest harvesting in Guyana.
According to the semestral Forest Sector Information Report on the website of the Guyana Forestry Commission for January-June 2008, there are 1,509,000 ha of 2-year ordinary State Forest Permissions (SFP) and conversion State Forest Permissions, 71,000 ha of 8-year Wood Cutting Leases (WCL), and 4,675,000 ha of 25-year Timber Sales Agreements (TSA).
Converting these figures to annual harvest areas gives a total of 950,000 ha, which is very nearly six times larger than Minister Persaud’s 160,000 (this 950,000 is calculated by dividing the SFP area by 2, the WCL area by 8 and the TSA area by 25, and summing the results).
The Minister suggests an allowable log production of 1,200,000 cubic metres (m3) from those 160,000 ha, an average of 7.5 m3 per ha as against the GFC Code of Practice limit of 20 m3/ha. However, Minister Persaud says that only 500,000 m3 are cut (GFC published 516,000 m3 roundwood equivalent from logs and chainsawn lumber in 2007), an average of 3.1 m3 per ha.
What these contrary figures, and the GFC website, conceal is the continued massive unsustainable logging of the heavy coloured timbers which should be retained for conversion in our own industries in Guyana, according to national policies and the PPP/C 2006 manifesto, but which continue to be exported in raw form to China and India. For example, purpleheart is being overcut at a rate some 30 times its natural ability to regenerate. China recorded imports of 28,300 m3 of logs from Guyana during the same January-June 2008 when the GFC published total log exports of 37,400 m3. That is, China took 76 per cent of these logs to make the furniture and flooring which we could be manufacturing and exporting from Guyana. It is disingenuous to use averages to explain the forestry situation in Guyana because some of the most important timber trees are closely associated with particular kinds of soil and topography.
What does the Minister mean when he says that “Guyana has a deliberate policy of sustainable management of its natural resource” and “Guyana as having some of the best conserved and best utilised forests in both the Guiana Shield, as well as in the Amazon Region”?
Yours faithfully,
Janette Bulkan
I am not the least surprised at this bogus compilation. I wouldn’t also be surprised if these worthies are quite often lost in the forest and have to be rescued.
Ms. Bulkan is asking for the perfect situation, which the forest industry in Guyana cannot sustain. The full potential of the forest industry cannot now be attained because of the lack of capital. There is a lack of capital because investors do not see a safe investment climate. There is not a safe investment climate because…… you all know why.
Ms. Bulkan, who may be unwittingly representing the position of the Bulkan dynasty, is shooting herself and the group in the foot. One time she is arguing against subletting and now she is suggesting that these underfinanced logging businesses should not export our prime logs – logs which are of the type that they, the Bulkans, utilise in their business.
Precision Woodworking teamed up with Farfan & Mendes and acquired a logging concession, but my understanding is that the main wood species for their business (the species the Chinese and Indians have a liking for) are scarce.
Now, wouldn’t it be ideal if Ms. Bulkan saw subletting favorably? They would have been in the position to pursue business deals with these exporters, even help the underfinanced exporters with their harvesting – that is the socalled badword “Subletting”. Ms. Bulkan has argued herself into a box.
I have another way that the Bulkans can come out of this on top while creating jobs and the value added components to our precious wood species. But they will have to get on to me personally about that. I may be willing to deal.