THE governor-general, Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau had agreed only to the logging of sandalwood scrub in Bua that had been damaged by timber logging, says a Government House statement issued on Wednesday September 27, 1984.
Ratu Sir Penaia’s statement was issued in reply to The Fiji Times reports expressing concerns at the revival of the sandalwood trade in Bua district which was once again endangering the survival of these rare trees.
This article was published in this newspaper on Thursday September 27, 1984.
Ratu Sir Penaia was known for his strong opposition to any proposal for the logging of sandalwood on a commercial basis, the statement said.
It blamed lack of proper co-ordination between the Department of Forestry and the Native Land Trust Board for the present exploitation of the sandalwood forests.
“It is the prerogative of the department concerned to conduct a proper feasibility study of the proposed venture and advise the people of the various pros and cons of such an enterprise,” the statement said.
A mataqali or landowning unit which wanted its land logged would first have to apply to the NLTB which assessed the application and recommended a decision to the Conservator of Forests.
The Department of Forests then conducted a feasibility study of the area and estimated the value of timber before issuing a logging license.
“It is obvious that this was not done and that there was no close consultation between the two institutes,” the statement said.
It said the governor-general’s involvement in the sandalwood proposal was merely advisory.
It was the responsibility of the two institutions to either grant or disallow such an application.
Tracing the events that led to the revival of the trade, the statement said that on August 8, 1984, the Tui Bua, Ratu Isikeli Naqavoka, led a deputation to the governor-general requesting him to allow the commercial logging of sandalwood in his province.
“During his term in office as deputy prime minister and minister for Fijian Affairs, Ratu Sir Penaia had continually advised people of Bua and other islands where sandalwoods is abundant, to preserve their wealth and steer away from the commercialisation of this crop.
“However, this was not favourably received by the people who looked on sandalwood as a quick means of monetary gain,” it said.
During his visit to the governor-general, Ratu Isikeli informed him of the serious problems facing the sandalwood crop in Bua.
He said the timber logging operations in Bua were causing serious damage to sandalwood trees.
