Source: Kyodo, Date: October 26, 1990, Story Type: News, Original
Language: English, Dateline: Jakarta, Byline: None, Text: Full,
Brief Remark: Like the Scott-Astra venture, it's not over till
it's over.
Marubeni Apologizes For Mangrove Logging Operation
The representative office of Marubeni Corp., a major Japanese
trading house, on Friday apologized for "inappropriate" mangrove
logging operations in Indonesia through its Indonesian partner, PT
Bintuni Utama Murni.
It is the first time for either company to acknowledge the
illegal logging of mangroves in Indonesia. Marubeni, which has
financed the logging operation, purchases wood chips from Bintuni.
An official of the Marubeni office told Kyodo that Bintuni
has improved its logging operations and is making efforts to
replant the trees harvested in a conservation area in Bintuni Bay.
Bintuni Bay in Irian Jaya province is one of the world's most
extensive mangrove swamps.
Since the beginning of this year, officials from the
Indonesian forestry have traveled to Bintuni Bay four times to
inspect the area and found no fault with the present work, the
Marubeni official said.
"We will continue to monitor the operation on the spot
periodically and try to make improvements," he said.
Marubeni's Tokyo office also sent a special team to Bintuni
Bay earlier this month, he said.
Forestry Minister Hasjrul Harahap said last Saturday that the
Indonesian government has temporarily suspended Bintuni's license.
The government has also fined the company 1.1 billion rupiahs
(about 590,000 dollars) for alleged illegal felling since May
1989.
Indonesia's mangrove conservation regulations ban the cutting
of mangrove within 200 meters of the seashore and 50 meters of
river banks.
However, Bintuni officials reportedly told Marubeni
representatives in Jakarta that they had not heard from the
Indonesian government on the temporary ban on its mangrove logging
operation.
According to Bintuni officials, the Forestry Ministry had
informed the company of the penalty but had not mentioned a
specific figure.
Djamaloedin, Director General of Forest Utilization at the
Forestry Ministry, said last Saturday Bintuni had accepted the
fine on September 24.