Environmental analysis news: Madagascar rainforests 'being plundered'

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is calling for an end to illegal logging in Madagascar.

Its rainforests are being "plundered" for rosewood and decades of conservation work is under threat, the organisation noted.

Niall O' Connor, regional representative of WWF Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean Programme Office, commented: "We strongly condemn the traffic of these hardwoods as we can see no benefit going to the local people's livelihoods nor to Madagascar National Parks who manages the protected areas."

According to the WWF, around 20,000 hectares have been affected in the north-east of the island, an area that is rich in biodiversity.

In other news, the environmental organisation recently welcomed an Indonesian moratorium on trawl and purse seine fisheries licences, suggesting that it may help to save the Coral Triangle.

The overfishing of juvenile tuna and other species has become a major problem in Indonesia the Asian country in recent years.