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$600,000 worth of black market Sandalwood seized

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http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/worth-of-black-market-sandalwood-seized/story-e6frg13u-1226457262968

from Perthnow

"MORE than 40 tonnes of illegally harvested sandalwood destined for the black market was seized in regional WA last week.

The sandalword, worth about $600,000, was seized in the Kalgoorlie area on August 17 and the Menzies area on August 18.

Charges are expected to be laid.

Illegally harvested sandalwood is exported out of Australia to Asia, where it is used for medicinal and aromatic purposes.

Department of Environment and Conservation senior investigator Rick Dawson said illegal harvesting was on the rise.

"Sandalwood can command up to $15,000/tonne, and this has resulted in an upsurge of illegal activity by people who want to cash in on this very lucrative market," he said.

"Since March 2011, DEC with the assistance of WA police has seized 17 consignments of illegally harvested sandalwood weighing in excess of 70 tonnes and valued at around $1 million, with one perseon charged and several investigations ongoing."

Mr Dawson said the harvesting practices used by illegal operators damaged natural bushland and were wasteful and unsustainable.

"Anyone involved in the sale, transport or processing of illegally harvested sandalwood faces prosecution under State legislation and will be required to forfeit all machinery and equipment used," he said.

People are encouraged to report any suspicious activities with sandalwood, particularly vehicle movements and registration numbers, to their nearest DEC office or WA Police."

^^^^^^^^

hmmmmm, is this just a way of monitoring other species in the area without alerting the people in the area? I mean, i presume they are talking about Santalum spicatum so all you have to do is look at the main host species for this Sandalwood

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Sandalwood poaching is a legit problem. It's like bluefin, in that if we want future generations to experience it, we need to conserve what's left. There are some sustainable sandalwood farms, but for the most part by buying sandalwood scents you are contributing to the extinction of a species.

I love perfume oils, so this is a hot-button topic for me.

Edited by Belching

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hmmmmm, is this just a way of monitoring other species in the area without alerting the people in the area? I mean, i presume they are talking about Santalum spicatum so all you have to do is look at the main host species for this Sandalwood

 

LOL, I love your paranoia, but I don't think so. The sandalwood market globally is just as big as the other one you're thinking of, and it's been around for much longer

The main host species is really only so in agriculture - in the wild, Santalums grow on whatever is nearby.

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