Govt announces crackdown on illegal logging after EU trade agreement

Thein Lwin, secretary of Parliament’s resources and natural environment preservation committee, said illegal and legal logging had caused natural forest areas to shrink to just one-fifth of the country’s land area.

U Ohn, vice chairman of the nongovernmental Forest Resource Environment Development and Conservation Association, agreed and added that teak production had fallen to just 20 per cent of total timber production. 

“Forest areas cover only one-fifth of the whole country now because of legal and illegal timber production,” U Ohn said. “Teak production is now only 20 per cent of all timber production. If you want to cut a tree, you have to prove that it is legal. If not, it is illegal. The reason teak production has fallen to 20 per cent of total production is because of illegal timber production [which has reduced the amount of teak forests in the country],” he said.

The statements follow the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the European Union to export timber and finished products to its market. Bar Bar Cho, associate secretary of Myanmar Timber Merchants Association, said the MoU was signed recently. Reports in state-run media said teak exports to the EU could begin in June.

Environmental Preservation and Forestry Minister Win Htun said Myanmar has cut more timber than any other country in the region, but wasted the value of this by allowing illegal logging.

The ministry’s Myanmar Timber Enterprise will crack down on illegal exports from April 1, it said.

The government said it plans to reduce exports of teak and other hardwood products to 15 and 20 percent of timber exports respectively.