Pine trees illegally logged to build homes

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Anasa Vula (middle) and villagers of Lakeba in Namuka, Macuata, at the logging site visit last week. Picture: LUKE RAWALAI

MEMBERS of the Naereere landowning unit in Namuka, Macuata received a rude awakening this week following illegal logging of pine trees on their land for construction of homes.

A spokesman of the mataqali (clan), Anasa Vula, said the only other surviving member of the landowning unit was residing overseas and they had been alerted by villagers about the illegal logging.

Yesterday, a team from the Ministry of Forests office in Labasa visited the site where logging had been progressing this week.

Mr Vula said during the visit they found that more than 100 pieces of timber had already been processed from a portable sawmill that was being operated by a group at the logging site.

After being alerted by elders within the mataqali, Mr Vula, who resides at Lakeba Village, was told to look into the claims of the villagers with the team from the ministry yesterday.

“The pine belongs to Fiji Pine Ltd, but the landowner was worried that he was not approached and informed that there would be a logging exercise in the area,” he said.

“The landowner is aware that in the past even when the company intended to log the trees, they would first consult with landowners, but in this case this was never done. Another main concern of ours was that the group had begun logging timber and handing them to other villagers which is illegal because only members of the landowning unit could use selected pine trees within their lease to build their own houses, but not to sell them.”

After the visit of officials yesterday, Mr Vula said they learnt that the group was operating without proper licences to log trees.

“It is good that the landowner, even though he resides in Australia, was made aware of what was happening on his land within a short period because the group had just begun logging this week.”

Responding to these concerns, director Forestry Operations Northern Division Moape Lotawa said the landowning unit needed to write about their concerns regarding their rights to the land in question.

Mr Lotawa said they would then consult the provincial council office and the iTaukei Land Trust Board on the validity of the claims.

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