Pekanbaru (antarariau.com) - Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) claims to preserve thousands of Ramin trees in the activity of Riau Pulp, the affiliated pulp and paper company based in Riau Province, with letting them grow among the industrial plantation.
"There are 1.200 Ramin trees which are remain standing and never get cut on the land clearing in Riau Pulp's concession," said Kusnan Rahmin, Presiden Director Riau Pulp here in Pekanbaru, Friday (22/3).
Gonystylus, also known as ramin, is a southeast Asian genus of about 30 species of hardwood trees. According to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), Ramin is include in the Appendix II, which means the plant is prohibited to trade internationaly after its population now on the verge of extinction.
Kusnan said the company hold those Ramin trees in Kampar Peninsula, Pelalawan District, to be exact is located in Estate Meranti which has extent of 43 thousand hectares.
Haed of Sustainability of Riau Pulp Dian Novarina stated that the company would not clear area where Ramin trees grow in group. The group so called "kepungan Ramin" (Ramin's Siege) oftenly contains more than 10 trees.
"At Estate Meranti we found two Ramin's Siege in 60 hectares of land," said Dian.
She admitted Ramin tree has its own gathering characteristic to grow which could sustain each other, so to let one individual amid acacia plantation is not the best way to preserve it.
"But we have to do that, to make sure our business and conservation could get along according to the law," she said.
Company also make standard operating procedure for land clearing sub-contractors must obey so that Ramin trees being unharmed in their works. In the forest inventory process, the worker put the sign on the trunk using paint for the safety of Ramin trees from the roar of heavy equiptment when land clearing comes.
APRIL: No Ramin Harmed in The Business
