Posted on 16 April 2013
- Gland/Moscow - The forests of the Russian
Far East are being pushed to the brink of
destruction due to pervasive, large-scale
illegal logging, largely to supply Chinese
furniture and flooring manufacturers, according
to a new report by WWF-Russia.
This widespread timber
theft is threatening the long-term survival
of the endangered Amur tiger, while providing
a conduit for illegal timber to find its
way into the United States, Europe and Japan.
In the report, Illegal
Logging in the Russian Far East: Global
Demand and Taiga Destruction, WWF-Russia
synthesizes more than 10 years of on-the-ground
field observations and highlights a sobering
reality: Russia’s forest sector has become
deeply criminalized, with poor law enforcement,
allowing illegal loggers to plunder valuable
timber stocks of oak, ash, elm and linden
with impunity.
“The scope and scale
of illegal logging in the Ussuri Taiga is
imperiling the long-term survival of the
Amur tiger and the livelihoods of thousands
of forest villagers and indigenous peoples,”
said WWF-Russia Forest Policy Projects Coordinator
Nikolay Shmatkov.
“With minimal resources
in place to detect and prosecute illegal
logging throughout the region, the sheer
scale of violations has reached epidemic
proportions.”
WWF analysis of Russian
customs data revealed that in 2010, the
volume of Mongolian oak logged for export
was twice the amount legally authorized
for harvest from the region--meaning that
at least half of the oak shipped across
the border to China was stolen. Further
analysis of export data showed that 2010
was a mild year: in 2007 and 2008 the oak
harvest was four times as large.
The report also finds
that, although there are a few positive
examples of successful Russian forest law
enforcement actions, the proportion of registered
illegal logging violations brought to trial
is extremely low. In 2011, only 16 percent
of the 691 registered cases of illegal logging
in Primorsky Province were brought to trial
– the lowest figure in the past 10 years.
Illegal logging degrades
vital habitat for Amur tigers and their
prey. Scientists estimate around 450 Amur
tigers remain in the wild. Over harvesting
limits the supply of pine nuts and acorns—a
main food source for their prey. As timber
supplies dwindle, ecologically sensitive
forests like wildlife reserves are increasingly
threatened.
While WWF is working
in Russia to suggest measures the government
can take to end illegal logging from the
supply side, importing nations must take
action as well.
In particular, the report
highlights the need for strengthened collaboration
between Russia and China to ensure better
timber tracking between the two countries.
In addition, the United
States, European Union and other countries
with timber legality legislation must ensure
that those laws are adequately enforced.
Companies in importing companies must be
sure of the forest origin, legality and
traceability of their wood products.
“There is a significant
risk that US and EU companies and consumers
could be purchasing furniture and flooring
made with wood from illegal sources,” said
Linda Walker, forest program manager for
WWF-US. “It’s critical for companies to
ensure that they are sourcing wood products
from legal and responsible sources, or they
risk violating their customers’ trust and
seriously degrading habitat.”
The report urges importers
of Chinese or Russian hardwood furniture
and flooring to confirm the species and
country of wood origin, as Russian species
can be mislabeled as originating from other
countries. For products made with Russian
oak, ash, elm, or linden, companies should
exclusively purchase Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC)-certified products.
If FSC-certified products
are not available, companies should establish
rigorous legality and traceability confirmation
systems. If neither approach is possible,
buyers should avoid any products made from
Russian Far East hardwoods due to the high
risks of illegality.