Logging - Assamela Timber Observatory Imminent

As part of efforts to ensure the sustainable management of Cameroon's timber resources, the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, MINFOF, is working on setting up a national observatory to keep track of the exploitation, processing and exports of the assamela wood species, also known as 'pericopsis elata' or 'afromosia.'

Speaking in Yaounde on Thursday, August 22, 2013 at the opening of the second National Technical Committee meeting of the International Tropical Timber Organisation, ITTO and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES, the Permanent Secretary in MINFOF, Joseph Claude Abena, said Cameroon is committed to ensuring that assamela, as an endangered wood species, remains protected. The project was set up last year.

Abena pointed out that for this to happen, there must be traceability throughout the processes of logging, processing and export of the wood. The Permanent Secretary described the timber species as being great value to Cameroon as it has an annual export quota of 14,000 cubic tonnes worth about FCFA 2.8 billion. The General Manager of the National Forestry Development Agency, ANAFOR, Dr Bekolo Bekolo, while noting that assamela is found mainly in the East Region, explained that the wood is used for various construction and furniture-making purposes requiring high quality wood.

According to the Africa Regional ITTO/CITES Project Coordinator, Dr Betti Jean Lagarde, a good monitoring tool will be key to the success of the project. In this regard he said control agents from MINFOF and the Customs Department have been trained in the use of CITES tools to ensure proper follow up of the exploitation, processing and export of assamela. Dr Lagarde announced that CITES will in the following months support an ANAFOR assamela regeneration project to boast production for the tree species that takes about 100 years to mature for logging.