Source : Post Courier, Papua New Guinea, 22 Dec '04
By : Post Courier
  

The five-year deed was signed on Sunday at Afore District by 159 signatories, which included clan leaders and two representatives of each clan.

The deed binds the clan members of Afore District and will control the wildlife areas under the newly established Dadakul Wildlife Management. 

The management agreed to conserve the land, forest, water resources, native plants and animals. 

The deed was organised by non-government organisation Conservation Melanesia whose main focus is helping communities and people to use their land and resources sustainably and keep their existence and way of life and legally secure the lands of the local communities.

This is the second of its kind after the first signing that happened between two groups in 2003 in the Bismark Ramu area of Madang Province.

The clans agreed that during the next five years, they would not negotiate a forest management agreement or a timber authority with the PNG Forest Authority, not enter into mining, not plant oil palms, not use firearms in the protected areas, not harvest endangered species and not burn the bush unless for gardening.

They also agreed they would not illegally harvest and trade the world’s largest birdwing butterfly, the Queen Alexandrae birdwing butterfly.

They agreed there would be no fishing by using poisoned roots, no diving and no using bombs and other poisonous chemicals. The Dadakul Wildlife Management group agreed that any large-scale commercial activities allowed into the area and leasing, selling or donating land would be a breach of the agreement.

They agreed that nobody could be invited to conduct surveys, exploration or any other activities of commercial nature without the consent of the clans.