Illegal logging of staggering proportions abetted by military personnel is decimating stocks of luxury rosewood in the Central Cardamom Protected Forest.

Chut Wutty, director of the Natural Resources Protection Group, estimates that tens of thousands of dollars worth of rosewood, which fetches between US$5,000 and $8,000 per cubic metre, is being transported out of Thma Bang district every day.



It is considered to be one of Indochina's richest conservation areas in terms of biodiversity, with vast numbers of endemic Cambodian flora that supports populations of pangolins, Asian elephants, Siamese crocodiles and other endangered or threatened species.



Investigate this illegal activity and make necessary arrests.

SOURCE:

Mr. Lonh Heal

Technical Director General

Ministry of Environment

48 Samdech Preah Sihanouk Tonle Bassac Chamkarmon

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Tel: 011 855 12 923 526/ 011 855 129 27001

Fax: 011 855 23 987 880

EMail: heal_lonhmoe@yahoo.com