Rainforests of the Atsinanana

• Encroachment
• Fire
• Hunting and poaching
• Artisanal mining
• Illegal logging
• Governance
• Engagement of local communities

Illegal logging of precious wood species (ebony and rosewood) and its secondary impacts; poaching of endangered lemurs were identified as threats for the site’s integrity

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4344

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4344  

Total amount granted: USD 1,890,000 from the United Nations Foundation and the Nordic World Heritage Foundation; USD 1,039,000 from the Government of Norway

On 13 February 2018, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, a summary of which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1257/documents/. On 10 April 2018, the State Party submitted additional information on the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) recommendations, including a stock audit and business plan, and on 23 April 2018, a summary of its activities in implementing the corrective measures. The State Party reports the following:

• Implementation of the CITES Action Plan and the Biodiversity Management Plan is continuing, with over 50 filed court cases of traffickers and seizures of over 600 palissandre logs. Members of the Special Court have been nominated;
• A partnership agreement was signed between the Ministry of Environment, Ecology and Forests and the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Center (CRFIM) for satellite surveillance of illegal exports of precious woods by sea, leading to the arrests of 12 suspects and the seizure of 363 rosewood logs;
• A stock audit of rosewoods and ebonies declared since November 2017 identified over 30,000 logs of precious wood. An identification guide for 20 Dalbergia, 20 Diospyros, and 10 similar species has been published;
• In 2017, more than 98% of the property was covered by patrols for surveillance and ecological monitoring, in part supported by International Assistance. The use of SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) is reported to have led to a decrease in forest clearance in Andohahela National Park;
• In 2017, 131 ha of forest have been restored. Two projects under the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) aim for further forest restoration, and to increase local community engagement;
• Illegal logging of precious woods decreased in 2017 (78 cases) compared to 2016 (99 cases). Pressure is shifting from rosewoods to palissandres, but remains far below the 2009 level;
• Signs of poaching are decreasing, with 44 new lemur traps found in 2017 compared to 65 in 2016;
• Illegal gold mining in Ranomafana National Park is reported to have increased in 2016 compared to 2015;
• In addition to the existing mechanisms for shared governance and monitoring, a number of community-based education and livelihood activities have been initiated, and communities impacted by the creation or extension of protected areas within the ecological corridors between the components of the property will be compensated.

The continued efforts by the State Party to implement the corrective measures are appreciated. The surveillance, ecological monitoring and restoration of degraded areas within the property have been continued, and the new FERI and GEF projects are welcome additions to enhance these efforts and increase community involvement. In addition to the priority areas for restoration, the State Party should also report on the total area remaining to be restored. The cases of illegal logging and lemur poaching are reported to have decreased since 2016, but no major changes can be detected to the overall fluctuating trend since 2009. Limited information is available on the results of ecological monitoring to assess the status of the species impacted by illegal logging and poaching. It is unclear whether the shift from rosewoods to palissandres is linked to a reduction in illegal rosewood logging or rather a reflection of the fact that rosewood has become extremely rare within the property.

While the reported decrease in forest clearance in the property, notably in Andohahela National Park is noted, the State Party does not provide clear data to support this finding. Recalling that in its previous report, the State Party noted an increase in forest clearance in 2016 in Masoala and Andohahela National Parks, it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to provide further information on the deforestation rates for each component of the property since 2009, including an analysis of satellite imagery.

The continued implementation of the CITES Action Plan and the Biodiversity Management Plan is noted. The publication of an identification guide for Dalbergia and Diospyros species is a welcome development that should support capacity building of customs officers and other authorities to identify illegal exports of these species. The partnership agreement between the Ministry of Environment, Ecology and Forests and the CRFIM is likewise a welcome development. During its 69th meeting in November 2017, the CITES Standing Committee decided to maintain the embargo on the trade and exports of the CITES-listed species. The finalization by the State Party of a stock audit plan of Dalbergia and Diospyros species is positive progress, and its implementation remains critical to prevent any illegal exports and trade. It needs to be stipulated that the CITES Standing Committee also noted that Madagascar did not provide an audited inventory of at least a third of the stockpiles of logs, sawn wood and veneer sheets of the species of Dalbergia and Diospyros in Madagascar, as was requested in CITES Decision 17.204. The numbers of court cases and logs seized and the volume of stockpiles audited since November 2017 demonstrate that the illegal trade of precious wood species from Madagascar remains a persistent threat to the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and will likely remain as long as the issue of illegal stockpiles is not addressed. At the same time the operational efficiency of the regulatory framework to act against illegal logging and export has been limited, as reported by the 2017 CITES mission. It is therefore recommended that the Committee urge the State Party to strengthen its control and enforcement measures, and strongly encourage it to implement the CITES Decision 17.204 and all recommendations of the CITES Standing Committee.

The increasing threat from illegal gold mining at Ranomafana National Park is of significant concern. Recalling that the State Party in its previous report to the Committee noted that a five-year Action Plan on illegal mining at Ranomafana National park was being developed, it is recommended that the Committee request an update on the status of the Action Plan and its implementation.

Considering that further efforts are still required to meet the indicators for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), it is recommended that the Committee retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.