Forest certification a tool to wildlife management

Reflections from archives...

Introduction: 

The problem of reconciling people’s livelihood needs with the needs of wildlife and ensuring the persistence of suitable wildlife habitat are well documented. At the same time, we recognise the interdependency between the survival of wildlife populations and their role in the provision of vital ecosystem services that the human populations of West and Central Africa rely on. The issue, therefore, is how to develop an approach that marries these two potentially conflicting interests rather than threatening wildlife on the one hand or human interests on the other.

The issue:

a. The unsustainable and illegal hunting of wildlife in the West, Central Africa and in Asia as well as rainforest has caused a crisis that threatens not only the survival of animals facing extinction but also the environment and disease transmission. https://www.save-the-primates.org

b. Between 1 and 5million tonnes of bushmeat is consumed in the Congo Basin alone each year.
c. The major limitation to the growth of bush meat consumer market in the past was the difficulty in gaining access to the forest. This has been overridden as the forested region of West and Central Africa is open to exploitation. This means that the increasing demands for an insatiable market can be met. Ammann (1998).
d. The extensive forest in the Congo Basin houses the biggest number of African great Apes. This forest is expected to decline by 30% in just the next 50years Krefeld and Roerhorst (2009). Gorillas and Chimpanzees in the western Congo Basin reside in logging concessions, while only 17% dwell in protected areas, Morgan and Sanz (2007).
e. The long-term survival of great apes is only ensured when the species reside in networks of effectively protected areas, certified logging concessions and other suitable habitats. Krefeld and Roerhorst (2009).
f. BBC reported (November 2009) that, the population of Africa has passed the one billion mark in the last 27years.
g.Wildlife consumption constitutes approximately 80% of animal based protein consumed in Central Africa. With the current growth rate, it is likely that the demand for bush meat will increase by 2-4% per year, a rate that exceeds natural replacement potential. (www.janegoodall.org)

An unending list can be cited, for problems arising from man’s search for subsistence means and the continuous existence of habitat with the right conditions for wildlife. Recognizing that there is interdependency between wildlife survivals and increasing human number that consumes it in West and Central Africa; This paper seeks to make the point that amongst the different initiatives towards sustaining wildlife, a third party certification scheme like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is making major impact on wildlife management on the ground. Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) as viewed by FSC in contrast to other forms of forest management initiatives offers increased assurance that the appropriate conditions are provided for by forest management operations carrying the FSC seal. Thus, recognizing forest certification by FSC’s standard as a tool for wildlife management.

What does FSC offer towards addressing habitat loss and subsequently wildlife disappearance?

Two approaches:
A. Develop standards based on agreed principles and criteria (P&C) for responsible forest stewardship, (here the term responsible habitat stewardship can be employed) that are supported by a broad consensus of social, environmental and economic stakeholders alike, that are compatible with international norms, and that are widely recognized and internationally accepted.
B. Accredit and certify systems that monitor compliance with the FSC standards.
FSC’s 10principles and 57criteria (P&C) is a comprehensive document with generic rules on good global forest stewardship. The P&C address issues like ecological impact around forest management, legal compliance, indigenous rights, labour rights and multiple benefits of the forest.

On the case in point which is wildlife management, FSC’s principle#6 on environmental impact and ecosystem integrity states: “Forest management shall conserve biological diversity and its associated values, water resources, soils, and unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes, and, by so doing, maintain the ecological functions and the integrity of the forest.”
Criterion 6.1 further makes it clear that “Safeguards shall exist which protect rare, threatened and endangered species and their habitats (e.g. nesting and feeding areas). Conservation zones and protection areas shall be established, appropriate to the scale and intensity of forest management and the uniqueness of the affected resources. Inappropriate hunting, fishing, trapping and collecting shall be controlled.”

What does this reflect in practice? Eco-system function is an important characteristic related to sets of conditions and processes whereby an ecosystem maintains its integrity such as food chain, primary productivity biological cycles. The FSC summarises these functions as four inter-related cycles:

a. Nutrients – as determined by underlying geology and soil properties;
b. Water – as determined by quantities and qualities of water resources;
c.Biomass – as determined from inventories of vegetation;
d.Biological – as determined from assessments of habitats and species.

The FSC therefore requires that conservation measures in FSC operations, for species and habitats be developed and implemented before management activities for harvest of products and services. Furthermore, all management activities must be clearly based on the results of the assessments of ecosystem functions. In FSC certified operations that have safeguard ecosystem function and integrity, wildlife conditions have improved greatly Krefeld and Roerhorst (2009). This is true for FSC certified operations in The Republic of Congo, Southeast Cameroon, The Republic of Gabon.

In addition to principle#6, principle#9 on maintenance of High Conservation Value  (HCV) equally considers wildlife and biodiversity. Criterion9.1 requires that the FSC operation assesses the presence and statues of the following HCVFs

Criterion9.1 requires that the FSC operation assesses the presence and status of the following HCVs

HCV 1 - Concentrations of biodiversity values, that are significant at global, regional or national levels (e.g., endemism, endangered species, refuges).

HCV 2 - Large landscape-level ecosystems, that are significant at a global, regional or national level, containing viable populations of the majority or all the naturally occurring species in natural patterns of distribution and abundance.

HCV 3 - Rare, threatened, or endangered ecosystems,

HCV 4 - Basic environmental services in critical situations (e.g. protection of critical water catchments, control of erosion),

HCV 5 - Areas fundamental for satisfying basic necessities of local communities (e.g. for subsistence, health),

HCV 6 - Areas critical for the traditional cultural identity of local communities (areas of cultural, ecological, economic or religious importance identified in cooperation with these local communities).

More needs to be done: it is important to note here that, the successful protection and management of wildlife and its habitat, is of relevance vis-à-vis FSC certification scheme because the system represents the view of stakeholders from diverse spheres; ENGOs, labour unions, timber traders and in some cases joint efforts with government institutions. However, there is still a need for improvements in better assessing the impact on wildlife of third party certification schemes like the FSC. Private sectors and consumers should give preference to FSC certified products; researchers should team up in the same quest for habitat protection and help advance global forest management.