A civil society lobby group is seeking a review of the ban on the use of plastic seedling potting bags issued by the National Environment and Management Authority [NEMA] a few days ago.
In a media briefing in Naivasha, National Environment Civil Society Alliance of Kenya said the move to ban the use of plastic bags in raising tree seedlings will slow down the 15 billion tree planting initiative by the government.
The lobby said that although the move to transition to use of biodegradable materials is welcome, it is untimely as many tree farmers are unable to access these bags on time.
NEMA, in a statement this week, directed farmers and tree growers to cease with immediate effect the use of plastic seedling potting bags and instead transition to environmentally friendly biodegradable bags to curb plastic pollution.
The Authority’s Director General, Mamo Buro, said that research conducted by the Kenya Forest Research Institute showed that the country now has the capacity to transition to compostable materials.
According to Gerald Ngatia, the Chief Executive Officer at National Lands of Community Forests Association, the ban will affect millions of tree growers, leading to a shortage of much-needed trees.
Ngatia said the ban, if effected now, will hamper the implementation of the 15 billion tree planting exercise and the country’s achievement of 10 percent forest cover by 2030.
At the same time, Ngatia said the lobby supports sustainable logging in the country’s forests, noting that the industry supports millions of Kenyans and contributes billions of shillings in revenue to the government.
On his part, Dr. Dominic Walubengo said the government should publish all forested areas where logging is allowed to curb illegal harvesting of trees by unscrupulous traders who threaten conservation efforts.
Dr. Walubengo said currently the country produces up to 100 million tree seedlings every year for the conservation of forests while calling for controlled logging to ensure sustainability.
According to Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Soipan Tuya, the country has 8.83 percent forest cover, with 2.6 million hectares of public plantation forests mostly located within major water towers.
The commercial public plantations are estimated to contribute Sh10.7 billion to the country’s national economy every year.
Currently, studies show that Kenya has a wood product deficit of about 10 million cubic metres, which is projected to grow to 34.4 million cubic metres by 2030.
Consequently, the lobby called for controlled logging, noting that previous bans have seen sections of large companies continue to harvest forest plantations, especially indigenous trees, without commensurate replanting.
The government’s move to lift the ban on logging last month was informed by forest inventory data, which showed that the country has 26,000 hectares of mature and over-mature forest plantation stocks.
However, the judiciary has put brakes on the implementation of the logging until a case filed by non-state and conservationists is heard and determined.
By Erastus Gichohi
