Bois de rose de Madagascar - Madagascar Wildlife Conservation

ABSTRACT
créer et imposer un label d‘Eco-Certification pour toutes les exportations de bois de Madagascar et
interdire l‘exportation du bois brut ;
retirer définitivement l‘agrément d‘exportation et le permis d‘exploiter aux opérateurs dès qu‘ils sont
condamnés par un tribunal pour des délits forestiers ;
saisir tous les dépôts de bois précieux et les détruire en mettant en œuvre des fonds de contrepartie ;
inverser la charge de la preuve de l‘origine du bois. C‘est à l‘exportateur d‘apporter la preuve légale
que chaque rondin de bois de rose ou d‘ébène provient de son lot forestier ;
doter le port de Vohémar d‘un pont-bascule permettant la pesée des conteneurs et fixer le prix FOB à
US$ 6 000 la tonne pour le calcul de la redevance à l‘exportation.
The 2009 campaign of precious wood exploitation in Madagascar involved a minimum of 52,000 tonnes of
exploited timber obtained from between 75,000 and 150,000 trees of rosewood (Dalbergia spp.) and ebony
(Diospyros spp.), of which more than 60,000 were taken from protected areas, impacting at least 4,000
hectares of park and from 8,000-13,000 hectares of intact unprotected forest targeted by selective cutting. A
third of the rosewood comes from the Marojejy region and the remainder from Masoala. About 500,000
additional trees (such as Dombeya spp.) have also been cut to serve as flotation for logs of precious timber
and tens of thousands of lianas have been cut to build rafts. Some 36,700 tonnes of wood have been exported
in 1,187 containers destined almost exclusively for China (50 tonnes of rosewood were sent to Germany), for
an estimated export sale price of $US 220 million. For the SAVA region alone, exports just from Vohemar
have generated $US 15.3 million in revenue for the Malagasy State, which is thus the largest single
beneficiary, although the 22 exporters from this port collectively took in $US 72 million. Fraud throughout
the trade is evaluated at $US 4.6 million (9.2 billion Ariary), whereas the total amount of hard currency not
repatriated to Madagascar could reach $US 52 million (104 billion Ariary). Precious wood has brought $US
1,300 (2.6 million Ariary) to each local player, but the average profit margin for the exporters reached 75%
of total sales.
Regulations gave accreditation to 13 exporters, but 23 were in fact able to export precious wood and 20 new
exporters await accreditation. Not a single log exported in 2009 met the minimal size required by law. Three
shipping companies (Delmas, UAFL and Safmarine) participated in the precious wood trade, but Delmas
benefited most and for the longest time, whereas the others stopped transporting wood as soon as they
became aware of the fact that it was illegal. Three banks (BOA, BNI-CL and BFV-SG) aided the export of
precious wood, and only BOA partially withdrew. On at least three occasions (1992, 2006 and 2009-2010)
those in power aided the exploitation of rosewood prior to major elections as a way to fund their costs and to
avoid upsetting voters in the regions where wood is exploited. Of the 23 exporters who operated in 2009, 13
have been taken to court for violating forestry laws, five of them on multiple occasions. However, only two
have been convicted, while the others were acquitted, granted the benefit of doubt because the laws are so
contradictory and difficult to apply. One prime minister and nine ministers under two different presidencies
have facilitated forest exploitation; just one prime minister and one minister, under two regimes, restrained
it.
The impacts on protected areas include a reduction in biodiversity, and increased fragility of natural habitats
as a result of natural and human-caused actions, which can in time lead to the total and complete forest loss.
The current campaign of rosewood exploitation is in part responsible for the steep drop in tourist visitation in
2009 (-56%). The precious wood trade is truly an example of unfair trade; the Chinese who purchase
Randriamalala et Zhou 2010 3