BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Philip Micah Tatagho from the Guadalcanal Province reforestation department from the Ministry of Forestry and Research has called on Solomon Islanders to engage in reforestation.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Island Sun yesterday, July 4, 2025, Mr Tatagho said the country’s forest resources will be gone one day if unsustainable harvesting continue.
He said forest resources especially trees have started to decline due to logging, commercial agriculture and population pressure.
“Very soon and one day, our forests, trees will be gone and so the only option is to plant trees,” he stressed.
Mr Tatagho said that the department’s role is to encourage people to plant more trees.
He pointed out that some places in the Solomon Islands do not have trees.
“One day there will be no timber to build our houses, to cook our food, to export, or to sell to meet our needs and wants. That is why reforestation is important to recover the over harvested forest,” he said.
Mr Tatagho said that the phase in which trees have been harvested over the years is more than three to four times unsustainable.
“For example, in GIPPOL, they have to buy timber from timber yards in Honiara to build their house or even for firewood to cook their foods and this is worrying,” he said.
Mr Tatagho said the Reforestation department of the Ministry of Forestry and Research is introducing new tree species in the ongoing National Trade Fair (NTF) at FOPA, SINU Campus.
“The newly introduced tree species are Teak tree, Mahogany and Eucalyptus and they have more value. It can be harvested within 10-20 years. We are also introducing our local trees, but it takes times to be harvested. The public can come and visit our stall located near the Western gate at FOPA,” he said.
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