A group of 16 environmental organizations have written an open letter calling on Japan to increase efforts to stop illegal logging. The groups claim that Japanese companies are importing timber from Samling Global, a company they say is involved in illegal logging in Sarawak on Malaysian Borneo.
A group of 16 environmental organizations have written an open letter calling on Japan to increase efforts to stop illegal logging. The groups claim that Japanese companies are importing timber from Samling Global, a company they say is involved in illegal logging in Sarawak on Malaysian Borneo.
Requests for comment from Samling Global were not returned.
The environmental groups addressed their letter to Japan's major wood trade associations. The letter calls upon Japanese companies "to cease sourcing from Samling Global until the company is able to independently demonstrate legal compliance in its concessions," and to work with the Japanese government to develop stronger measures against trade in illegal timber.
"Japanese companies are the largest buyers of Samling's Sarawak logs and plywood," said Andrea Johnson, a non-profit expert in illegal logging at the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). "They may not be aware of the activities occurring 'behind' the stamp of legality, which is why we sent a letter to the representative industry organizations." Johnson noted that Japan currently lags behind the U.S., Europe and soon Australia in preventing illegal timber imports, as it has no law or effective system to prevent illegal wood products from entering into the country.
EIA said that investigations in 2009 and 2010 confirmed Samling Global has been logging undersized and protected trees in Sarawak. It has also illegally logged in a national park, logged without required Environmental Impact Assessments, and logged in excess of government-imposed limits. Japan was made aware of the infringements in 2010, EIA said, yet Samling Global continues as Japan's largest timber supplier.
These organizations signed the letter: Environmental Investigation Agency (U.S. and U.K.), Global Witness (U.K.), Humane Society International (Australia), Rainforest Action Network (U.S. and Japan), Rainforest Foundation Norway, Climate Justice Programme (Australia), Forests for the World (Denmark), Friends of the Earth (U.S. and Japan), Japan Tropical Forest Action Network, The Sloth Club (Japan), HUTAN Group (Japan), Sarawak Campaign Committee (Japan), Greenpeace Japan.