Malagasay Republic Gov. Considering Whether To Sell Seized Illegally Logged Rosewoods For Cash

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Facing a severe cash crunch in the aftermath of a March military coup which triggered donor governments to suspend aid and crippled its economy, Madagascar's top politicians are reportedly mulling the export of tens of millions of dollars' worth of precious hardwoods illegally logged from the country's rainforest parks, according to high-placed sources in the Indian Ocean island nation.

Just two weeks after a $40 million dollar shipment of rosewood was canceled following international outcry, sources report that representatives from Madagascar's interim president Andry Rajoelina's government may be pressuring Delmas, a French shipping company that would have handled the December 22nd shipment, to begin picking up tens of millions of dollars worth of rosewood stored in containers in the port of Vohemar. Christian Claude Bezokiny, the owner of the Hôtel Palissandre in Antananarivo and also a rosewood trader, said Wednesday that Rajoelina has cleared him to export 115 containers. Bezokiny has already exported more than $10 million worth of rosewood over the past year, despite restrictions on logging. Jeannot Ranjanoro, who may be Madagascar's largest rosewood trafficker according to a report released last year, is apparently also preparing shipments. Ranjanoro is said to export rosewood under Flavour Handling LLC, a corporation based in Delaware. As a U.S. company, if Flavour Handling is shown to be involved in timber trafficking that violates Madagascar's environmental laws, it could be potentially exposed to prosecution under the Lacey Act. Flavour Handling did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Until the cancellation of the December 22nd shipment, Delmas had been the most prominent shipping company involved in rosewood trafficking, which surged amid Madagascar's political crisis. A representative from the company said last week that it was no longer transporting rosewood, but there are indications its position may change.

"Delmas appears to be under pressure in Madagascar," said a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Someone is threatening them that if they do not export the rosewood then they can forget about exporting anything else from Madagascar."

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http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0107-madagascar.html