‘Not our responsibility’: Solomon Forest Association says logging impacts an issue for landowners

The President of the Solomon Forest Association (SFA) says the devastating impacts of the logging industry in Solomon Islands are not its responsibility.

Despite the social and environmental effects that communities continue to witness from logging activities, SFA president John Si said he did not think the logging companies should be blamed.

Instead, he told SIBC News, the blame should come back to the resource owners who allowed their land to be logged.

Mr Si said under SFA regulation the member companies simply carried out awareness programs in communities before they conduct logging activities.

He said how that information is disseminated to the communities was something that depended on the landowners and their people.

The SFA president pointed out that the logging industry had sustained the country’s economy for a long time and help develop it.

He added the association always abided by the policies of the Government and companies who did not have been terminated from the association.

The self-funded association was established in the country around twenty years ago with more than seventy current members.

By Kikiva Tuni