Total forest area in Ireland represents 11% of the land area. Conifers continue to represent the bulk of forests at 71.2% – most of it sitka spruce. Leitrim was the most densely forested county with 18.9% of its land mass under trees. The county has seen the fastest increase in afforestation, with over 3,500ha planted in the past five years. The pace of forest development has been controversial in the county. Cork has the largest forest estate by size, with just over 90,000ha, representing 11.6% of Ireland's national forests. Minister of State for Agriculture Andrew Doyle said that the 1.28 million m³ increase in annual timber harvesting over the past five years was "a positive indicator of increased wood mobilisation and represents a valuable source of revenue for forest owners and a source of additional employment in the rural economy through harvesting, transport and downstream processing". Read more...
The UK's top trade associations in the forestry and forest products sectors have proposed a merger, the Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor) and the UK Forest Products Association (UKFPA). Confor chair Athole McKillop. “We have so many challenges facing us, from Brexit to plant health, to securing future wood supply, it’s vital that we make best use of the sector’s resources to promote our interests and to provide technical advice and services to businesses in the industry.” Echoing that sentiment, UKFPA vice-presidents Gavin Davidson and Rod Gordon said: “In view of the challenges and opportunities facing our sector, we believe that the time is right to bring together the two trade associations, to provide a stronger and more effective voice for our industry." Read more...
Millions of tonnes of illegally logged timber from forests across Papua New Guinea, are being exported to China and from there to the world as finished wood products. A new report from Global Witness has revealed that government-issued permits are often illegally “extended” and fail to enforce laws surrounding logging in prohibited and ecologically sensitive areas. About 70% of PNG is covered by forest, and the majority of the developing country’s 8 million-strong population depends directly on the land for sustenance, livelihoods and cultural practices. PNG has lost 640,000 hectares of forest to logging in the past five years, and 3% of its total tree cover since 2000.
“PNG is China’s single largest supplier of tropical logs ... the US and EU, in turn, are China’s largest markets for its plywood and wood furniture exports. While China has not yet banned the import of illegal timber, the US and EU have."
PNG is one of the latest signatories to China’s $1tn belt and road initiative and one-quarter of all of PNG’s debt is owned by China. Read more...
“PNG is China’s single largest supplier of tropical logs ... the US and EU, in turn, are China’s largest markets for its plywood and wood furniture exports. While China has not yet banned the import of illegal timber, the US and EU have."
PNG is one of the latest signatories to China’s $1tn belt and road initiative and one-quarter of all of PNG’s debt is owned by China. Read more...
