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Myanmar's logging ban

As reported by the EIA -Enviromental Investigation Agency- Myanmar has agreed a temporary national logging ban and a 10-year ban in the Pegu Yoma region to give its forests breathing space from years of exploitation.

"The national logging ban will run until the end of March 2017, in effect closing the forests for one complete logging season. All exports of round logs from the country have been banned since April 2014. 

For the duration of the new national ban, Myanmar will rely on stockpiled timber to supply its domestic wood processing industry and the international market; current stockpiles are sufficient to meet current demand for up to three years. 

Access to these stockpiles will be controlled by the Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE), a Government entity, and the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) today stressed the importance of having controls in place to ensure full chain-of-custody for all stockpile sales to prevent illegally logged timber being laundered through the system.

Credible controls will assist responsible international traders, especially those based in Europe and other markets which require full transparency before imports can be permitted."

Source of this information: the Enviromental Investigation Agency. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is a UK- and Washington DC-based Non-Governmental Organisation that investigates and campaigns against a wide range of environmental crimes, including illegal wildlife trade, illegal logging, hazardous waste, and trade in climate and ozone-altering chemicals.