The Betsiboka Estuary on the northwest coast of Madagascar is the mouth of Madagascar’s largest river and one of the world’s fast-changing coastlines. Nearly a century of extensive logging of Madagascar’s rainforests and coastal mangroves has resulted in nearly complete clearing of the land and fantastic rates of erosion. Astronaut photograph ISS008-E-19233 was taken March 25, 2004. Earth Observations Laboratory, Johnson Space Center

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April 04, 2010 Rainforest timber continues to be cut illegally from Madagascar’s national parks despite a recently announced moratorium on precious wood exports and logging, reports a source from the Indian Ocean island nation. On March 24, Madagascar’s transitional authority unveiled decree (no. 2010-141) prohibiting all exports of rosewood and precious timber for two to five years during a council meeting held at Ambohitsorohitra Palace in Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital city. But with the revelation that logging is continuing within Masoala National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, questions are now being raised about the decree. “The decree establishing the moratorium has not yet been signed by the government,” said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “The decree is now looking like a public relations stunt by the government.” The allegation that the government is failing to follow through on its promise to rein in illegal logging does not come as a surprise. The Global Witness and the Environmental Investigation Agency — groups that have been investigating the illegal timber trade in Madagascar — questioned whether the decree would be effective shortly after it was announced. Meanwhile timber traffickers are reportedly having a difficult time managing the large amounts of cash generated by the recent shipment of rosewood timber on the Kiara, a cargo vessel owned by the French shipping company Delmas. The same source reports that earlier this week timber traffickers — locally known as bolabolists — were in Antananarivo trying to open new bank accounts using large amounts of cash. At least one bank — Banque Malgache Océan Indien (BMOI), a subsidiary of BNP Paribas — turned down the deposit after it became clear the money was from illegal timber trafficking. The bolabolists were later seen buying new Toyotas. “It remains to be seen whether the [Madagascar transitional authority] is serious about stopping illegal logging,” said another observer, who asked to remain anonymous. “The bolabolists have friends in high places.”

New timber ban failing to stop illegal logging in Madagascar