IN NEWS

'Chinese beliefs pose gravest threat to Indian tigers'

Salil Jose  | 2010-07-26 17:38:40

Chennai: China might have banned the use of tiger body parts in traditional medicines. But the demand for the big cat’s bones and other parts has not come down because of the Chinese people’s belief in the healing and aphrodisiac qualities of tiger parts. 

Reports say the sale of alcohol-based health tonics with tiger bones in them is thriving in that country. The Chinese believe that these tonics can treat rheumatism, reduce joint stiffness, and increase sexual vigour. 

Have the tiger parts really got healing and aphrodisiac powers? Or is it just a myth?

“Tiger parts don’t have any such powers. It is only a superstition,” says well-known wildlife and conservation filmmaker Shekar Dattatri.

Shekar, who has spent over thirty years observing and filming tigers, says this Chinese ‘superstition’ poses the gravest threat to the tiger in India. 

While interacting with the audience after the screening of his documentary ‘The Truth about Tigers’ at the Dakshinachitra in Chennai on Saturday, he said the Chinese demand for tiger parts is fueling poaching by organised criminal gangs. 

These gangs, mainly members of highly-skilled hunting tribes like the Baheliya and Bawaria from central India, travel to wildlife reserves across the country on poaching expeditions. These gangs are paid Rs 2 to 3 lakh for every tiger they hunt down.

The lack of enforcement of wildlife laws helps the poachers. State forest departments have neither the resources nor the expertise to prevent poaching, he says. There are over 20,000 field staff vacancies in forest departments across the country because of ‘lack of funds’. But at the same time, there was no dearth of budgetary allocation for unnecessary and undesirable ‘civil works’ in the forests in the name of saving the tiger, he points out. ………………………..

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http://sify.com/news/chinese-beliefs-pose-gravest-threat-to-indian-tigers-news-national-kh0rCDiibaf.html

Forest Department will plant saplings on farmers land

Mon, Jul 26 05:23 PM

Chandigarh, Jul 26 (PTI) Haryana Forest Department will plant saplings on farmers land along national highways as tree strips along the highways have been cut to widen the roads and there is no space for fresh plantation. Forest Minister Ajay Singh Yadav said a sum of Rs eight crore had been earmarked for the scheme during the current financial year.

The Minister said the saplings would be planted in two rows with the concurrence of the farmers. The Forest Department would supervise the plantation for three years and thereafter it would be handed over to farmers, he said, adding that to increase forest cover in the state, agricultural forestry was being promoted.

Farmers were being provided saplings of various trees at subsidised rates so that they could increase their income by adopting agricultural forestry. The scheduled forest area in Haryana was 3.5 per cent of the total geographical area of the state, he said adding that income accrued from this plantation would be given to farmers.

The Forest Department had set a target to plant five crore tree saplings during this year so as to increase forest cover in the state.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20100726/1416/tnl-forest-department-will-plant-sapling.html

NZ forest products get export boost

Editor | Jul 26, 2010 |

Higher demand for forest products in China, South Korea and India is benefiting log and lumber exporters in New Zealand. The value of exported forest products have increased over 54% in 2010, according to a report from Pressreleaspoint.com, citing Wood Resource Quarterly.

New Zealand’s exports of pine logs and lumber increased substantially during the first months of 2010. Unfortunately for the manufacturing sector, log exports have increased much faster than the exports of manufactured products.

For the period January through May, the value of wood, pulp and paper products reached almost USD$1.2 billion (NZ$1.7 billion), up 54% from last year. The increase in shipments the past few years is due to continued strong demand for most forest products and wood raw-material in China.

The big story from New Zealand continues to be the expanding exports of Radiata pine logs to Asia. In 2009, China was, for the first time, the number one destination for Radiata logs. The volume reached 4.8 million m3 last year, up from 2.1 million in 2008 and from only 680,000 m3 five years ago. So far this year, exports to China are up an additional 38% from the earlier record set last year.

The total log shipments in 2009 reached 8.7 million m3 and could very well be over ten million m3 this year. India imported a record 810,000 m3 of Radiata pine in 2009, making it the third most important world market behind China and South Korea. During the first five months of 2010, shipments to India were up 54% as compared to the same period in 2009.

There is also some good news coming from the sawmilling industry in New Zealand, where both domestic and overseas markets are starting to show improvements. Lumber exports have increased for three consecutive years and were almost 1.9 million m3 in 2009. So far this year, shipments have gone up another 12% as compared to last year.

Slightly higher lumber prices have allowed sawmills to increase operating rates and pay marginally more for sawlogs in 2010. However, despite the improved market for lumber, some sawmills are concerned that they may not be able to compete for sawlogs if the log export market continues to strengthen. Domestic sawlog prices were at the highest level in eight years in the 2Q/10, as reported by the Wood Resource Quarterly. Under the current market conditions, it is not likely that log prices will decline in the near-term.

Global timber market reporting is included in the 50-page publication Wood Resource Quarterly. The report, established in 1988 and with readers in over 25 countries, tracks sawlog, pulpwood, lumber and pellet prices in key regions around the world and also includes regular updates of the latest developments in international timber, pulp, lumber markets.

http://nzexporter.co.nz/2010/07/nz-forest-products-get-export-boost/