Countries

Forestry policies, institutions and programmes

Administration
Forestry activities fall under the Forestry Division in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF). Its responsibilities include policy and planning, forestry research, plantation forestry, agroforestry and conservation. A separate committee exists within MAF to coordinate all agroforestry activities. The Ministry of Land, Survey and Natural Resources administers the Environment Act, and an Environmental Unit within the Ministry is responsible for environment and conservation matters. Under the provisions of the 1976 Parks and Reserves Acts, a Parks and Reserves Authority was established in 1989 within the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources to protect, manage and develop natural areas.

Policies
Tonga does not have a formal forest policy. National forestry objectives, set out in the government¿s five-year development plan, include:

• to promote balanced land use considering the importance of trees for soil and water conservation, wood production and shelter;
• to promote optimal use of senile coconut timber resources;
• to encourage private-sector investment in reforestation; and
• to encourage woodlot planting for industrial and fuelwood purposes.

Forestry projects are outlined in the three-year Forestry Plan, which is reviewed and adjusted each year. Priorities of the Forestry Plan include: promotion of tree planting by encouraging agroforestry, establishment of an agroforestry nursery, and the development of sustainable management plans for both the coconut resources and the hardwood forests.

An Environmental Management Plan was prepared in 1989 and revised in 1992 to become the National Environmental Management Strategy. Amongst other issues this focuses on wildlife conservation and management and the institutional and legal framework for ensuring environmental management. The establishment of ¿Eau National Park and the development of Forest Conservation Agreements show clear evidence of a major shift in commitment to forest conservation.

The latest national forest inventory was carried out in 1998/99.

Legislation
The Forest Act 1961 (amended in 1991) controls the use of forests and embraces protection and conservation measures including the establishment of forest reserves and the protection of water catchments. A recent Environmental Protection Act contains provisions relating to forest management.

As specified in the Constitution of Tonga, all land is the property of the King, who may grant hereditary estates to nobles or titular chiefs. Land can be leased or mortgaged but not sold. Until recently, all male taxpayers were entitled to an 8-acre allotment. More than 60 percent of the country¿s land area is held in allotment. This system has resulted in fragmentation of landholdings, which limits forestry development to some degree. Tax and town allotments make up two-thirds of the landownership, and the practice has had a major role in the conversion of forest to farmland.

The unique land tenure system means that opportunities for public participation in forest management in Tonga are less direct than in many other Pacific Island countries. Large areas of agroforestry are in public hands, but areas of high natural forests tend to be geographically inaccessible, and consequently, opportunities for direct public participation in management are limited.

Last updated: September 2002