Search

Between 2010 and 2015, forest area in Solomon Islands declined at an annual average rate of 0.3% to 2,185 hectares, covering about 78.1% of the land area. It is a major source of revenue for the various stakeholders – export duty revenue for the Government and royalties for landowners – and source of livelihood for a large proportion of the population. However, forest resources are projected to be completely depleted by 2020 if there is no active reforestation. There are two commercial forest plantations in the country: Kolombangara Forest Products Limited with a production plantation of 14,237 hectares, and Eagon Pacific Plantation Limited with a production plantation of 10,000 hectares. Like in most sectors, the land tenure system seems to be a major constraint for the establishment of large-scale forest plantations. Enforcement of legislation in the forest sector is poor in most of the provinces. Huge discrepancies between officially recorded log exports and imports reported by major trading partners (Section 1.6) point to a strong prevalence of under-declared or illegal logging.

The Ministry of Forestry and Research (MFR) is responsible for the overall management of the forest resources of Solomon Islands. It is also responsible for drafting and implementing forestry legislation, and monitoring, auditing and inspecting logging operations and shipments. The Solomon Forestry Association (SFA) is the association representing the forest industry in negotiations with the Government. By law, all logging companies are required to be a member of the SFA. Member companies pay an annual membership fee of SI$1 per cubic metre of log exports.

The Forest Resources and Timber Utilization Act (FRTUA) 1999 provides for the conservation of forests and the improved management of forest resources, the control of timber harvesting, the encouragement and facilitation of sustainable forestry activities, the establishment of plantations, and the domestic processing of timber. A licence from the Commissioner of Forests is required for all felling of trees and milling. Felling licences are issued for a five-year term at a cost of SI$10,000, and are subject to an annual licensing fee of SI$10,000. Licensees are required to post a bond of SI$250,000 to be established with the Pan Oceanic Bank (POB) or a guarantee from any commercial bank before commencing operations. They are also required to submit annual harvesting plans and obtain consent ("Development Consent") from the Director of Environment.

The MFR (Ministry of Forestry and Research) has the power to declare certain land areas to be a state forest or a forest reserve. In February 2015, the Government announced a moratorium on new registrations and applications for logging business activities. However, it has not been implemented. The Government is also providing a freight subsidy to help businesses get the timber to the port in Honiara. Other policy tools include market intelligence and the provision of storage facilities.

During the review period, the Forestry Development Strategy 2009-13 was the main policy framework for the sector. The policy objectives for the sector included: reviewing the legislation; promoting downstream processing of forestry and the timber industry; encouraging reforestation and smallholder plantation schemes; establishing parks and conservation areas and encouraging participation in initiatives aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+); and encouraging medium- to large-scale plantation development, in partnership with landowners.

The export of round logs is administered by the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI), in collaboration with the MFR (Ministry of Forestry and Research). Exporters must be granted "Specific Authority" by the CBSI, after receiving clearance from the MFR. In 2015, 819 applications by log exporters for "Specific Authority to export" were approved by the CBSI, covering a volume of 2.7 million cubic metres of round logs and a value of approximately SI$2.2 million. For timber products other than round logs, a permit to export is required. The permit is issued by the Ministry of Forestry and Research. A phytosanitary certificate is required for markets where fumigation is required. The export of some key commercial species, such as vitex (Vitex cofassus), kwila (Intsia bijuga), and rosewood (Pterocarpus indicus), in roundwood form is prohibited. They can only be exported as processed timber. Some species such as ngali nut (Canarium indicum) and tubi (Xanthostemon melanoxylon) may only be exported with approval from the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology.

The Protected Areas Act 2010 and the Protected Areas Regulations 2012, which came into force in 2012, aim at fulfilling Solomon Islands' commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Under the legislation, any group of landowners can apply to the authorities to create a protected area on their land. NGOs and the Government can also apply to create a protected area. The legislation defines five types of protected area, depending on their purpose: natural reserves, natural parks, natural monuments, resource management areas, and closed areas. Commercial logging and mining within protected areas are prohibited. The Protected Areas Regulations 2012 prescribe activities that are prohibited or restricted in a protected area. A Protected Areas Advisory Committee (PAAC) is tasked with the responsibility of advising the Government on related matters, and granting permits for activities such as biodiversity research or bio-prospecting research in protected areas.

Other key pieces of legislation include the Environment Act 1998 which requires an environmental impact assessment before the commencement of any timber processing activity; the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012; and the Wildlife Protection and Management Act which regulates the export and import of certain animals and plants.

Solomon Islands joined the UN-REDD Programme in 2010. [19] Solomon Islands is not a member of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), an intergovernmental organization promoting the conservation of tropical forest resources, and their sustainable management, use and trade.

[19] The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD) was launched in 2008.

At present, Solomon Islands is largely dependent on imported petroleum fuel for its electricity production. Nonetheless, there is considerable potential for solar energy owing to the country's location near the equator, and for coconut-based biofuel due to the massive planting of coconut. There is also significant potential for hydroelectricity development, in addition to indications of exploitable geothermal resources in locations such as West Guadalcanal, Paraso Bay on Vella Lavella Island, Simbo Island, and Savo Island. [23]

[23] A geothermal energy prospecting licence was granted to Kentor Gold Ltd, an Australia-based company, to explore the feasibility of a 20 MW geothermal plant on Savo Island to power Honiara.