Forest certification: setting the standard for improved wildlife management in tropical forests

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Forest certification setting the standard for
improved wildlife management in tropical forests

• Tim Rayden, ProForest, UK

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Introduction

• Problems relating to logging in tropical forests
• Forest certification as a tool to promote better
  management
• Env elements of certification process
• Key issues for certification in tropical areas

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The problem

• Tropical forests not being managed sustainably
• Deforestation land conversion
• Increased hunting of wildlife

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• A stick, but no carrot
• Common need for a credible mechanism to
  incentivise good practice

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What is Forest Certification?

• A process in which an independent organisation
  verifies that a forest holding is being managed
  in accordance with a specified standard.
• A means by which a company can demonstrate good
  practice and receive recognition.

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Origins

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) established in
  1993
• Other certification schemes have followed e.g.
• SFI
• CSA
• PEFC

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• 7 of global forest area (FAO) under
  certification
• 24 of Global industrial roundwood production
• Data from UNECE Forest Products annual market
  review

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Can certification tackle the problem of bushmeat
hunting?

• Standard of good practice
• Compliance is verified
• System of monitoring continual compliance

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FSC Standard 10 Principles and criteria

• 1 Legal compliance
• 2 Tenure and use rights
• 3 Indigenous peoples rights
• 4 Community relations and workers rights
• 5 Benefits from the forest
• 6 Environmental impact
• 7 Management plan
• 8 Monitoring and assessment
• 9 High Conservation Value Forests
• 10 Plantations

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Principle 6 Forest management shall conserve
biodiversity and its associated values

• 6.1 Assessment of environmental impacts shall be
  completed
• 6.2 Safeguards shall exist which protect rare,
  threatened and endangered species and their
  habitats (e.g. nesting and feeding areas).
  Conservation zones shall be established
  Inappropriate hunting, fishing and trapping and
  collecting shall be controlled.
• 6.3 Ecological functions and values shall be
  maintained intact, enhanced or restored,
  including forest regeneration and succession,
  genetic, species and ecosystem diversity, natural
  cycles that affect the productivity of the forest
  ecosystem.

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Principle 9 Maintenance of High Conservation
Value Forests

• Management activities in High Conservation Value
  Forests shall maintain or enhance the attributes
  that define such forests
• An assessment of HCVF ..shall be conducted..
• Six values
• Species
• Ecosystems
• Landscapes
• Env Services
• Basic needs
• Cultural values

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How the standard is used

• National interpretation of the PC with greater
  specificity
• Requires national multi-stakeholder working group
• Wide consultation and review
• Approved by FSC international
• Certification body interim standards
• Also requires consultation and approval
• Certification checklist
• Indicators
• Verifiers

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Verification of compliance

• Independent, qualified audit team
• Consultation and review of findings
• Crucial role of the auditor

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Monitoring

• By the CB
• Annual surveillance audits
• Re-audit after 5 years
• By the company
• Must demonstrate adaptive management using the
  results of its own monitoring

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Is certification having an impact?
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• However,
• One or two examples where logging companies have
  dramatically improved their activities and become
  certified.
• Many more working on transition

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Conclusions

• Certification can help
• Setting a standard for responsible practice
  providing a process for checking compliance
• Consultative process allows stakeholders to have
  input

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Opportunities

• Standards working groups
• Consultation and review of draft standards
• Defining HCVF
• Participation in audits
• Consultation and review of audit findings

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Requirements

• Wildlife biologists need to be involved
• Be clear on what management measures should be in
  place and how their effectiveness can be verified
• Be prepared to compromise
• Be prepared to move beyond pure science