Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Driven by demand in China, where the burgeoning middle class has developed
a penchant for Ming-style rosewood furniture, a number of locals, including some
hoteliers, snatched the opportunity to make a quick buck. Soon the Chinese mafia be-
cameinvolved,considerablyincreasingcriminalactivityandsilencingthosedaringto
speak out. Conservative estimates put the number of rosewood-laden shipping con-
tainers to flood out of Madagascar's east coast ports over the first year at around
1,500, but the reality may be many more.
Corruptofficialsatalllevelswereimplicatedinthetrade:exportwaslegalised,sev-
eral timber harvesters were given official licences and most who had been brought to
justice mysteriously walked free. This political involvement is nothing new; in recent
decades, illegal logging activity has peaked prior to elections, indicating this form of
revenue is used to fund political campaigns.
International pressure, orchestrated by a global underground network of conserva-
tionists and others, focussed on the three shipping companies transporting the cargo.
Faced with publicity of the controversial nature of their activities, two soon gave in,
but French-owned Delmas continued. Under immense pressure, they too eventually
agreed to stop, but were forced to resume exports by the transitional government who
reportedly threatened to cancel all their other contracts in Madagascar.
Shipments carried on into 2010, but halted in April when a decree was finally
signed by the deputy prime minister declaring that those cutting and exporting rose-
wood and ebony would be prosecuted. But alas the decree was not worth the paper
it was written on, for barely a month after the morotorium came into force the prime
minister authorised a new export of 79 containers of rosewood. This shipment left
Madagascar with a Singapore-registered shipping company after the French embassy
advised Delmas against accepting the contract.
Wybe Rood reports on his walk in the reverse direction: 'I did the trek in five days. Day
1 was in a pirogue and nice; Day 2 we hiked to Bizono, crossed the river about 20 times:
waist-high water, slippery rocks. Bizono is a relatively new village, created for relocated
forest dwellers. Then the hardest day involved another 20 times of river crossing. I'd re-
commend to bring shoes to protect your feet from the rocks, as well as hiking boots. The
forest was a bit disappointing though. Most of the time you walk through parts that have
been lived in. We saw no wildlife apart from geckos. The bit from Ampokafo to Maroant-
setra was very pretty and relatively easy.'
Via Masoala
Sebastian Bulmer and Jamie Gibbs did a variation of the Cap Est walk from
Antalaha toMaroantsetra followingthecoastdowntothetipofthepeninsula. Hereistheir
report: 'Walk from Ambodirafia to the southern tip of the peninsula; seven days, including
one day off. Walking at a gentle pace, staying in villages along the way, empty beaches,
