The fight is on to end illegal logging in the uniquely biodiverse ancient forests of Madagascar. Following a military coup in March 2009, Madagascar’s formerly protected national parks have been pillaged for precious hardwoods. The illegal loggers were acting with the tacit support of the interim government, which formally sanctioned timber exports at the end of 2009. Tens of thousands of hectares have been affected, spurring a rise in the bushmeat trade which has seen many rare lemurs slaughtered for restaurants. Locals who attempted to stop the plunder were intimidated and in some cases beaten.
The start of 2010 saw national and international pressure intensify on the Madagascar Government. Growing criticism of rosewood trafficking included an email campaign by Ecological Internet resulting in thousands of messages of protest, and public appeals by Global Witness and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) to the governments of France and Madagascar.
