An agreement has been signed by the Solomon Islands Sawn Timber Industry and New Zealand Imported Tropical Timber that signifies a step towards reducing illegal timber imports.
Pacific Periscope reports under the agreement, the Solomon Islands Timber Industry and the New Zealand organisation will collaborate on a number of initiatives to develop a system of third party legality assurance over the next two years.
The weekly newsletter says a new independent organisation will also be set up to audit sawn timber production to ensure that the source and legal production of timber can be demonstrated. This is seen as an important step towards sustainable forest management.
