Dear Michael, You may obtain a more educated information source from the Commonwealth Forestry Association in London. The other good sources are: ITTO Tropical Forest Update ITTO Secretariat International Organizations Centre 5th Floor, Pacifico-Yokohama 1-1-1 Minato-Mirai, Nishi-ku Yokohama 220 Japan Tel: + 81-45-223 1110 Fax: + 81-45-223 1111 E-mail: asarre@itto.or.jp Provides good information on ITTO's projects in community forestry and tropical forests rehabitation. Meanwhile, I'll send you photocopies of these write-ups. CIFOR P.O. Box 6596 JKPWB Jakarta 10065 Indonesia Tel: + 62-251-34 3652 Fax: + 62-251-32 6433 E-mail: cifor@cgnet.com I have attached an article on the Queen's Award for Forestry awarded to our Forestry Department's Assistant Director-General, Thang Chiew Hooi, a few days ago in London, for your reference. Rhetorics about storm-troopers and armies are for Hollywood movie directors, not forestry professionals. God Bless. Nelson Wong Malaysian Timber Council http://www.mtc.com.my
LONDON: The campaign against tropical timber has failed to achieve anything, Commonwealth Forestry Association chairman Peter Wood said.
Speaking at the association's 75th anniversary at Heathrow on Sunday, he said the timber issue was not a matter of trade boycott.
"It is a matter of helping timber-producing countries to achieve sustainable forest management," he added.
Wood also said the Queen's Award for Forestry given to Malaysian Forestry Department assistant director-general Thang Chiew Hooi was to honour his outstanding contribution to the forestry industry.
He said Thang had clearly demonstrated his commitment and achievement in forest management.
Malaysia lost a substantial market share in Europe because of a boycott of tropical timber instigated by environmentalists.
In another development, Thang said Malaysia and the Netherlands were launching a pilot scheme to label Malaysian timber for export to the Dutch market.
If the scheme proved to be successful, it could also be applied to other European markets.
Thang hoped the scheme would win back consumers of Malaysian timber in the Netherlands where Malaysia had lost nearly 50 per cent of the market.
The pilot scheme will be launched this month and experts from both Malaysia and the Netherlands will work out the benchmark for timber labelling.
"They will look into details of the labelling mechanism and the benchmark will be certified by an independent third party," he added.
Thang also said the National Committee on Sustainable Forest Management in Malaysia had formulated a total of 88 activities to meet the International Tropical Timber Organisation's Year 2000 objective.
He said by now, Malaysia was able to achieve 71 per cent of these activities.
On his award which carries a Ë3,000 (RM12,000) cash prize, he said he was proud because Malaysia's efforts and contributions had been recognised.
"Malaysia has been recognised by many tropical countries as a leader not only in the management of mangroves but also natural forests," he added.
He will use the money to travel to Commonwealth countries like Zimbabwe and Namibia and share his experiences as well as strengthen the Commonwealth stand on forest management.
The award was presented by Queen Elizabeth yesterday.
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