Friday , 29 March 2024
enfrit
The Malagasy ruling power intends to burn a number of rosewood logs down. The concerned stocks are supposed to be stuck down in remote areas, far away from export harbors and much too hard to be reached. But ecologic groups vividly oppose the initiative in response.

Stockpiled rosewood to be ashed

The fate of rosewood piles is first and foremost a mere matter of confidence, and actually more a cause for concern than a done deal. In fact, hardly anyone can guarantee that the stockpiled rosewood will truly be incinerated at all. Hence the concern. Andry Andriamanga, national coordinator for the Voahary Gasy Alliance, said “it would be much more profitable to recover rosewood piles and share them out among Malagasy craftsmen instead of turning them to ashes.” His point expressed in the local press favorably echoed among national professional craftsmen groups, which equally stand against the incineration of stockpiled rosewood located in extremely remote areas. A craftsman actually explained that “legally retrieving the logs should not be much of an issue if smugglers find it no hard to dare the odds to proceed to illegal cuts” Some artisans already do volunteer to find ways to recover the stockpiled rosewood. The Voahary Gasy Alliance believes that the concerned rosewood stocks to be potentially worth a € 1 million, could an international tender ever be launched. In any case, everyone now agrees on the fact that the total war valiantly declared by the new president, Hery Rajaonarimampianina to rosewood traffickers is far from bearing the expected results. Observers increasingly speak of a real “masquerade”, for rosewood timbers keep on falling in the woods, those located on natural reserves supposedly protected by the State making no exception. Illegal exports keep on developing whereas no trafficker has yet been arrested. Even notorious traffickers previously mentioned as suspects in a report delivered to Prime Minister Jean Omer Beriziky, shortly before he had to leave office, remain free and untouchable by now.