The iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) has begun consultations with the landowners under the three Fiji Forest Industries timber logging concessions in Vanua Levu, which it has now cancelled.
CEO Mr Tevita Kuruvakadua says that this is something that most of our landowners have always wanted in a very long time as the licenses allowed FFI and its contractors certain rights of felling, removing, converting and selling certain timber growing on itaukei land. These rights have now been reverted back to the landowners so that they can use their forests.
The three timber logging concessions which have now been cancelled were on thirty-five (35) land owning units in the Bua Province, thirty- three (33) in Cakaudrove and seven (7) in Macuata.
The concessions term was for 20 years; for Cakaudrove concessions from November 2010 over 7,288 hectares, Macuata concessions was from May 2009 over 2,1450 hectares and Bua concessions from July 2006 over 9,600 hectares of land.
Mr Kuruvakadua says the logging concessions has conditions that part of the premium, rent and timber royalty to be distributed to the land owning units and a part invested by TLTB. “TLTB investment now amounted to $932,326, which will be distributed to the landowning units and/or diverted to their business or community developments as agreed with them,” he said.
He urges landowners to use their forest wisely under sustainable forest management, green growth framework and other initiatives such as protected areas for conservations, forest tourism and carbon trading under REDD+ leases and ensures that they receive optimum and equitable returns.
Forests are the hub of biodiversity and contribute to clean air and water and its conservations are crucial to the country’s clean environment and to mitigate climate change impacts.