laos opposed ban on hardwood export

Laos a major exporters of rosewood _ have opposed a Thai
proposal to ban international trade of this most prized hardwood for
fear of an adverse impact on their timber exports. Bangkok pushed for
the listing of rosewood, or payoong, on the protected list of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (Cites) during a three-day meeting of Asean experts on Cites
in Chon Buri, which ended on Friday.

Watana Vepayaprasit, chief of the wildlife and flora conservation
division, said Thailand failed to convince Asean members to put the
payoong tree on the Cites list.

Delegates from rosewood-rich countries, including Laos and Cambodia,
disagreed with the Thai proposal, saying a ban would pose problems for
their timber exporters, according to Mr Watana.

''We understand that this is a very sensitive issue for countries
which export rosewood. But our purpose is not a total ban on trade.
What we need is to ensure that the rosewood trade does not threaten
its survival,'' he said.

He said Thailand would not give up and will continue to campaign for
protection of the species.

Rosewood is listed as a protected species under Thai law, which also
bans the timber trade. However, the illegal trade of rosewood has
increased recently, reportedly due to strong demand from China and
Japan.

Police have made hundreds of raids since October last year and seized
more than 50,000 logs of rosewood and arrested 527 people.

Most of the illegal timber was from the northeastern provinces of Ubon
Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, Yasothon, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Mukdahan.

The National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has
estimated there were about 300,000 rosewood trees left in the
conservation zone.

Meanwhile, the 10 members of Asean agreed in principle to Vietnam's
proposal to set up a wildlife rescue centre in each country to take
care of wild animals confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade.

The centres will also be responsible for the repatriation of
confiscated wild animals to their original habitats, said Mr Watana.

In cases where no country claims to be the owner, the animals will be
donated to zoos or wildlife breeding centres.
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