In complete disregard of the ban on timber exports out of Madagascar SEAL, a French transport company has shipped 79 containers of rosewood out of the country.

Moratorium Ignored

The shipment, worth nearly $16 million, is in direct violation of the moratorium imposed by Madagascar’s ruling authority only three months ago.

The ban is the result of international uproar over the organised deforestation of the country’s national parks in the wake of the military coup last year.

There is an estimated 1,500 containers worth of precious hardwoods scheduled for shipment in Northeastern Madagascar say the Ministry of Environment. Each container of roewood is thought to be worth $200,000 on the street according to a  study published last year by the Missouri Botanical Garden.

The Unique Biodiversity of Madagascar

Madagascar is the fourth largest island on the planet, and because of its early isolation from the mainland African continent most of its mammals, half of its birds and the majority of its plants are unique to the country. Today there are severe concerns that many of the islands best known species such as lemurs and chameleons may disappear before the end of the century.

Since the arrival of humans 2000 years ago 90% of the original forest has been lost due to deforestation, erosion and unsustainable agricultural practices and today only 18% of the islands native vegetation exists.

Currently the country is under Military leadership following a coup last year, since then in the ensuing political and social chaos the islands forests have experiences a massive increase in unrestricted logging activities.

47 of the world’s 48 rosewood species are found only on Madagascar, and demand for the wood on the Chinese Market is creating a very dangerous situation for the endangered trees.

The announcement that the Madagascan Alaotra Grebe has gone extinct late last month is just one conservation tragedy in what is feared is the first in a long line for the Island.