Illegally harvested bigleaf mahogany confiscated in Peru
Posted on 05 February 2003
The raid on illegally harvested bigleaf mahogany in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
© WWF Peru
Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, Peru -
Anti-illegal logging efforts helped strike a major blow to forest crime in protected areas last week in Peru. Ten park guards from Pacaya Samiria National Reserve and 12 police officers confiscated between 7,400 and 9,290 square metres of bigleaf mahogany in boards and logs, with an approximate market export value of nearly US$500,000. This successful raid marks a major step towards halting illegal logging in one of Peru’s most important areas. The raid was led by the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve's administration, with technical and financial support from WWF Peru and international aid, and was conducted in collaboration with indigenous communities from the area.
Illegal logging activities in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve have increased dramatically in recent years. Illegal loggers have used resource-poor loggers to facilitate their illegal activities by convincing them to extract timber from the reserve and by using timber contracts to cover up the timber’s illegal origin. Also, inefficient and lax legal proceedings fail to deter illegal activities, and are completely ignored by illegal loggers. In addition, during the rainy season the reserve area floods and becomes easily accessible to boat transportation, making control and security measures extremely difficult.
According to the reserve's chief, timber confiscated by Peru's National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA) — the government entity responsible for protected areas — is often auctioned at a price lower than its market value, and frequently bought by the very same promoters of illegal logging that are members of the mahogany cartel. For this reason, a recent Peruvian law legalizes the destruction of confiscated timber. In this case, INRENA has suggested the possibility of donating the timber to communities in and around the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, but this decision has not yet been confirmed. INRENA’s final resolution regarding the destination of the timber has not yet been issued and can be delayed up to 15 days. A timber donation to local communities might motivate these communities to support conservation action in the reserve instead of illegal loggers.
This week, the Peruvian government issued Supreme Decree 006-2003-AD, declaring illegal logging a major national priority and setting the stage politically for combating forest crime. This decree modifies statutes of the Forest and Wildlife Law by adding increased detail to the law regarding punishments for illegal logging crimes, making confiscation sanctions more stringent, and establishing forest management committees.
While these successful steps provide a critical foundation for future efforts, the urgency of the current illegal logging situation requires immediate and continuous support.
For further information:
Adriana Musso
WWF Peru
E-mail:
[email protected]
