Roundup: Myanmar steps up cracking down on illegal logging

Myanmar has been stepping up cracking down on illegal logging and has punished a total of 300 people for the offense in Myanmar's Bago region since the new government took office on April 1.

During the period, more than 1,800 tons of illegally logged timber were confiscated in the region, the local forestry department revealed.

A total of 128 vehicles, used in illegally transporting the confiscated timber, were also caught, doubling the seizure of the vehicles compared with last year.

The seized timber comprised of over 700 tons of teak, 500 tons of hardwood and 600 tons of other varieties of wood, according to the report.

In July, Myanmar forestry authorities announced suspension of wood logging along Bago Yoma mountain range in the central part of the country for the next 10 years.

As of 2015, the mountain range is 26 percent forest, accounting for 9 million acres (3.6 million hectares), the forestry department said.

Upon resumption of logging activities to other areas around the country, the annual volume will be reduced, an official of the department disclosed.

Forest conservation efforts will be carried out simultaneously with logging activities, while unofficial logging has been prohibited and logging permit for private companies will no longer be granted, the official added.

According to earlier report, Myanmar will stop teak wood production and reduce logging of hardwood this year due to severe deforestation.

The number of teak trees in Myanmar has gradually declined due to illegal logging. The rate of forest coverage in Myanmar has decreased to 45 percent in 2015 from over 57 percent in 1990, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation.

However, the ministry is planning to replant teak in Bago mountain range in a bid to protect natural resources.

Myanmar is one of most resource-rich countries in Southeast Asia covered by 38 percent mixed deciduous forests, 25 percent hills and temperate evergreen forests.

The logging volume of teak and hardwood in the fiscal year 2012-2013 reached 925,050 tons, according to statistics.

Meanwhile, Myanmar government has restricted wood logs export to encourage more export of value added wood products since 2014. Endit