Cambodian forest group targets Australian firm

Radio Australia

Updated April 13, 2011

Wildlife campaigners in Cambodia are turning their attention to halting an Australian-backed banana plantation after they successfully stopped a controversial mining development.

The Cambodia Government surprised environmentalists by scrapping plans for a titanium mine in the Southern Cardamom Forest. The forest is home Cambodia's largest population of Asian elephants and dozens of endangered species. But despite the win, The Wildlife Alliance says the area remains under threat from clearing for agriculture.

Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speaker: John Maloy, Wildlife Alliance spokesman

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COCHRANE: John Maloy, first of all let's address the issue of the titanium mine. What reasons were given for the government deciding not to go ahead with it?

MALOY: The government, in this case, the prime minister himself basically said that the environmental impact both on biodiversity and the potential affects on water resources as well as impacts on the local people Cardamoms were basically the reasons behind cancelling this concession.

COCHRANE: Did that decision take you by surprise?

MALOY: Completely, completely. We had been campaigning for months to stop this titanium mine and it received approval back in February, which actually also caught us by surprise, because it happened about two weeks before a meeting which was supposed to actually decide on whether this project was going to go ahead and even happened. So we were very much convinced that this project was a done deal and we're now working to try and minimise the damage that it would cause, but obviously this is a much better outcome.

COCHRANE: Well let's talk about that proposed damage, because the area is the site of both the titanium mine and also this proposed banana plantation. Tell us about the Cardamoms Mountains area. Why is it important to protect?

MALOY: The Cardamoms Mountains is basically one of if not the largest contiguous rainforest in South East Asia. It is home to a huge biodiversity, it's also critically important to Cambodia as a watershed. It gets a tremendous amount of rainfall each year, which feeds water supplies for thousands of people, but is also going to be the seed of the country's hydropower, the hydropower centre, which is something that is a national pride for Cambodia and it's going to be very important for them moving ahead. But it's also an elephant corridor and one of the last seven in Asia, so it's a critically important piece to keep hold. I mean you can't fragment this far, because it would disrupt the migratory paths of these elephants.

COCHRANE: There is a risk to that elephant corridor though. I understand a banana plantation in the area is backed by an Australian company, BKK, can you tell us about the proposed project first of all?

MALOY: Yeah, yeah. The project is to have a 5,000 hectare banana plantation and a 20,000 hectare sort of conservation reforestation area around it. The critical problem with this particular plantation is its location. There is a section of the elephant corridor that is quite narrow, due to deforestation and it connects a national park in the east to a larger rainforest in the western part of the country and this plantation would basically completely severe the small link that keeps these large forest bodies together. It really couldn't be in a worst location.

COCHRANE: Why is it in this location? I mean Cambodia is a big place. There's plenty of land around, although it's obviously precious as everywhere else. Why do they want to put the banana plantation in this protected area?

MALOY: I'm not precisely sure. I imagine it is in a more fertile valley I guess than in a lot of areas. It probably is a good place to be growing, it's just it's not a good place for when it comes to conservation efforts.

COCHRANE: And about those efforts. Have you had contact with the company? Are there any negotiations underway with the company or perhaps with the government on this issue?

MALOY: Yes, absolutely and I have to say to the company's credit, they've been very forthright, very willing to try and make adjustments and make this work as best as possible. It's actually very refreshing to see competitive a lot of the companies do try and do business in this area that often have backing from China or Vietnamese firms or local firms that are much more secretive and much less willing to actually engage. But what it basically comes down to is the location and there's really unless this plantation has been moved entirely, I don't see how it could be supported.

COCHRANE: What about the local population, how do people in Kokon and in that area of Cambodia feel about both the proposed plantation project, which is obviously going to bring jobs to the area, but also the protection efforts?

MALOY: I would say feelings are mixed and I think a lot of local people are wary of development coming in, because they have very strong attachments to the land to this sort of set practices and they're not sure if they're going to be getting a good deal and I know local people around the plantation area have not yet been approached, so they are definitely concerned. But there are actual concerns with conservation efforts as well, because these people do rely on the forest, sometimes that involves rather destructive practices and these are very poor people and often they engage in slash and burn agriculture which is something that forest rangers want to try and put a stop to and that does led to conflict as well. So it is a tough and complicated situation.