14 Dulwich St., Loganholme, Queensland, 4129, Australia
P07 3806 1944 (+617 3806 1944) F07 3209 7711 (+617 3209 7711)

 

  

  Click for home page Click for Sales Agents

Chain of Custody, Legal Logs

 There are some really big issues with tropical rainforest logging.  I won’t try to cover them all here, just those relevant to our plywood business.

 The first is the question of over logging.  I think that most of us agree that the destruction of tropical rainforests is a grave matter.  There is a view (and I subscribe to this) that some, controlled and selective logging for high value end uses is acceptable.  Most countries have government departments who to a greater or lesser extent try to control logging in their countries and try to ensure that it is done in a sustainable way.  For us, the important issue is that they issue licences to take certain logs, and as our part in the global effort to restrain uncontrolled rainforest destruction, we insist that our plywood is made from logs taken  legally under such a licence.

 The second is the issue of the payment of proper royalties.  The people who live and work in the places where these logs are taken from are amongst the poorer people on earth, and I just don’t consider it fair to steal logs from them just so we can have cheap plywood.  That is why again we insist that the plywood is made from legal logs on which proper royalties have been paid.

I personally worry about the endangered species such as the orangutans.  A recent ABC's 7.30 report featured this crisis and it referred to a prominent Australian source of cheapish plywood which is a subsidiary of a major Malaysian company which is believed to be involved in illegal log usage.

 Finally, it has been estimated that 20% of global CO2 emissions come from forest destruction**.  Ethical reduction of wanton forest destruction for low value end uses is a low cost but highly effective way of making a significant contribution to the global warming issue.

 The way we make our contribution is that the importer that we deal with has Australian AS4701 Chain of Custody certification. In addition they ensure that the mills they deal with have PEFC certification.

 Boatcraft Pacific believes in and supports the use of  Chain of Custody systems, as well as where possible, the use of plantation timber.

Ian Phillips, Owner

 **Sam Lawson and Larry McFaul. “Illegal Logging and Related Trade”  July 2010

Enquiries 

Please call Boatcraft Pacific 07 3806 1944 ( +617 3806 1944) for how to contact your nearest reseller.

Copyright Boatcraft Pacific Pty. Ltd.