A provincial governor in Papua New Guinea has taken the government to task over a lack of action against illegal logging.
Landowners walking along a logging road in an illegally logged forest, Metamin area, New Hanover, PNG. Photo: Global Witness Media Hub
For several years Gary Juffa has been fighting illegal logging operations in his province, Oro, by various foreign companies.
In a scathing and loud broadside, the Oro Governor told parliament that rampant illegal logging was an example of how PNG doesn't control its own economy.
He said logging often took place in his and other provinces without proper consultation with landowners, who then lost the source of their livelihood.
"And the landowners cannot go to court because they cannot afford lawyers. And the people they're against very powerful entities - they get the best lawyers," he said.
"I'm in court already. I've got two cases against me. For what? For standing up on behalf of my people, becaise government agencies are not supporting me, they're not standing with me.
"What's the point of passing all these laws of we cannot enforce them?"
Juffa claimed the authorities had failed to hold abuses of visa compliance, logging permits and other measures to account.
He directed questions at the Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, Wera Mori.
"Your organisation for instance: we have reported about illegal logging and the consequences on the environment. None of your officers have paid a visit to these areas to carry out an assessment or an investigation to find out what is the reality on the ground," Juffa said.
"That's the same with the forest ministry, and the lands ministry and the agriculture ministry. I have tabled reports after reports."
But in the wake of the speech, PNG media reported that the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority has cancelled the environmental permits of two companies logging in Oro province.
According to PNG media, in response to this, the minister said no logging activities should be conducted in the area in question.
Meanwhile, PNG's government says it wants more local economic activity and benefits from its forestry sector, which is dominated by foreign companies exporting round logs.
Prime Minister James Marape recently told foreign logging companies to start downstream processing activities in PNG or leave the country.
Lungs of the world
The parliament has been told that the country's precious rainforest is still not being adequately protected from illegal logging.
Juffa told MPs that the state of PNG's rainforest is important for the world's health.
"We house the third largest rainforest in the world. Seven percent of the world's biodiversity. We pump out enough oxygen for eighty million people.
"We are contributing significantly to the lungs of the world, the breathing apparatus of this world."
Juffa cited the nature of the respiratory illness at the heart of the pandemic as a timely reminder of why more sustainable management of PNG's forests was critical.
Yet he warned PNG was "losing these forests, as we speak".
Harvested logs in PNG Photo: RNZI/Johnny Blades