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Logging companies resist conservation in PNG

A Papua New Guinea Forest official says logging companies are continuing to resist conservation policies put in place by the government. Source: Radio New Zealand

Programs such as Redd-plus, initiated by the United Nations, have been established in countries like PNG to help curb global emissions through conserving and restoring degraded forests.

A senior forest officer at the PNG-based organisation Partners with Melanesia, Kenn Mondiai, said a forest policy established by the government in 1999 put emphasis on sustainability. But he said logging operators continued to ignore the logging codes of practice.

“Many of these companies do not pay attention, due care and concern to the factors of allowing forests to recover,” said Mr Mondiai.

“They ignore the factors or most of the logging workers are either Chinese or Asians or Papua New Guineans who are full-time logging workers who have not been taught or trained about these standards.”