BY LYNTON AARON FILIA
LOG ponds along the coast of Guadalcanal are a threat to the coastline and marine life. They also portray a negative image for tourism in the country.
An example of such negative development is the log ponds in West Guadalcanal.
Over the weekend, the Taiwan Acrobatic Troupe visited Boneghe beach and other iconic sites and they were amazed that Solomon Islands has a rich history and an amazing environment.
Though they enjoyed the tour, they felt sad for the beautiful beaches around West Guadalcanal.
Logging activities are threating marine lives and are contaminating and polluting the seas and the rivers.
Eden Bay in West Honiara that used to be a leisure beach has been replaced with a log pond. Further up to Poha river is another log pond.
Upstream of Poha, one can vividly see the logging roads along the mountains as well as see the seashores and beaches that are contaminated from the impact of logging.
If the activities continue, Solomon Islands will lose its resources from both land and sea.
Meanwhile, the Taiwan Acrobatic Troupe enjoyed the environment setting of Honiara especially Boneghe beach and the history of the American memorial at the Skyline.
On their way to Boneghe beach, the Director Secretary of National Taiwan College of Performing Arts Mr Wang Hsueh Yen said they were impressed by business development around country’s coastline.
He said Solomon Islands needs to protect its environment because the coastline, marine lives, rivers and mountains are magnificent attraction for tourists.
“Regarding your natural environment I encourage people to have awareness to protect your beautiful seashore and marine lives and that’s your treasure for development,” he said.
Mr Yen said their visit to the American memorial they learn Solomon Islands have rich history and that’s what made Solomon Islands such a special place in the world.
Other than natural environment, Mr Yen said they want how people connect with the environment and the way they interact during a visit to the central market over the weekend.
Mr Yen said they were impressed on how local people trading with local farmers and local handicraft.
“Particularly, way that people feel very free and at ease at the market during trading are friendly with each other which make us feels very friendly and easy,” he said.
With the friendship Taiwan create with Solomon Islands; Mr YEN said they really cherished the friendly and welcoming environment showed during its city tour at the Honiara Central Market.
“Through interaction, language and communication I truly found out the locals are very friendly with the Taiwanese. And my team felt this connection with the locals and this connection is real,” he said.
Concerning the logging activities in Solomon Islands, a report shows that Solomon Islands Government (SIG) has followed a logging-based development strategy for the past three decades.
Despite widespread acknowledgment of the unsustainable nature of logging throughout the country and increasing awareness of its social impacts, national log export volumes have steadily increased over the past 10 years.
As a result it was reported that logging negatively affects food security through the environmental damage it causes to mangroves, reefs, gardens, forests, marine and its ecosystem.
