BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
LANDOWNERS of Korona Land have questioned the legality of ongoing tubi harvesting operations, describing the activity as illegal due to poor consultation and bridge of the country country’s law.
In an interview with Island Sun, spokesperson for Korona Land, Chief Paul Fota, said the majority of landowners did not consent to the operation.
He explained that Korona Land is jointly owned by three tribes, and any decision relating to development or resource extraction must be agreed upon by all three.
“In this case, we strongly believe that only a few individuals signed the document. That makes it null and void under our customary ownership arrangements.
“Most landowners were not aware of this, and we are now investigating the matter within the three tribes,” Fota said.
He said landowners had previously raised specific demands during meetings organised by the company and government officials.
One of the key demands, Fota said, was that no new operations should proceed until a previous case involving compensation of SI$1.3 million linked to alleged illegal tubi harvesting is fully settled.
“Other demands included the proper establishment of land trustees, a clear system for the distribution of royalties and other benefits, and a special agreement between the landowners and the company to address environmental safety concerns.
“None of these demands were met. So, you can see how the government and company are messing up things again,” he said.
Fota also said that landowners were not informed of any timber rights hearing before the harvesting operation commenced.
He questioned the decision by the Commissioner of Forest Resources to endorse the operation, asking what legal documents supported the approval.
“The laws of Solomon Islands require a timber rights hearing before any logging operation can proceed. “We do not understand why there was no timber rights hearing, yet the operation is already on the ground,” Fota said.
He said landowners are confused and are calling on the government and responsible authorities to provide clear explanations regarding the approval and legality of the current harvesting activities.
