Vol. 483 No. 3
92 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the measures, if any, he will take to ensure Ireland gives support to international efforts to conserve the rain-forests; his views on the attitude of the public to, and the value of, rainforest hardwood imports into Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20070/97]
Part of the national forestry policy is to increase the planting of temperate hard-woods or broadleaves, which will in the long-term produce timber which can substitute for tropical imports. The national target level for broadleaf planting, as outlined in the strategic plan for the development of the forestry sector, under which an afforestation programme will continue up to the year 2030, is 20 per cent of all planting.
The issue of trade in tropical timber is a complex one. Tropical timber is the developing countries' third most important commodity after petroleum and coffee; it is not the major cause of damage to tropical forests, accounting for only about 20 per cent of timber felled, the balance being for fuelwood. Trade is also subject to WTO rules and unilateral action by either Ireland or the EU would be inconsistent with them.
Ireland's imports of tropical timber — logs, sawn wood, veneers and plywood — in 1996 came to about 56,000 tonnes, valued at £30 million. These came mainly from Brazil, Ghana and the Ivory Coast.
I recognise that the destruction of tropical forests is one of today's major environmental issues. Ireland is already involved at international level in efforts in relation to the protection of tropical forests, and on import substitution in the long-term.
International co-operation has the advantage of its large scale, pooling of resources and expertise, and possibilities for co-operation and consultation with producers. The European Union plays an active role in the protection of tropical forests through initiatives such as the intergovernmental panel on forests, which reported to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and its agreed international follow-up, the intergovernmental forum on forests, which was set up at the UN special assembly of the general assembly on sustainable development in June this year. Ireland will continue to play its part in such developments.
The attitude of the public also plays a part in the protection of tropical timber, as trade is related to consumer demand. An increasing public awareness of tropical deforestation and the origins of timber such as mahogany and teak could lead to a gradual drop in demand for these products, or at least for those which do not come from sustainably managed sources.
