Acheh: Logging Banned
A moratorium on logging was declared by Achech’s governor as part of a long-term forestry management plan.
Below are extracts from an article published by The Star:
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP): The new governor of
Irwandi Yusuf said all logging would be banned indefinitely.
[…]
[W]ith nearly 130,000 homes destroyed by the 2004 tsunami, demand for timber has been almost insatiable. Some international and local aid organizations have even been accused of buying illegal logs.
"This is part of our long-term plan to come up with a durable and fair forestry management plan,'' said Yusuf, adding he hoped the move would minimize natural disasters.
It was not immediately clear what penalties violators face.
Environmental groups say
Aceh, on the northern tip of
The December 2004 tsunami killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries, including 160,000 people in Aceh alone.
Rebuilding is more than halfway complete, with some 70,000 homes still needed.