Day 056 - 28 Nov 94 - Page 11

     
     1        before the period of 1988 and 1989 because at that time
     2        sustainability was measured in terms of sustained yield.
     3        But it is now very much the recognised pattern that forests
     4        are managed along the lines of that Helsinki statement.
     5
     6   Q.   So, the position that "sustainability" also refers to
     7        ecological sustainability, since when has that been the
     8        predominant position as opposed to just merely yield
     9        volume?
    10        A.  Well, that is difficult to answer because it varies
    11        from country to country, as I am sure you appreciate.
    12
    13   Q.   In the UK?
    14        A.  But in the United Kingdom, in 1985, the full extent of
    15        change, I think, became apparent when we adopted a
    16        programme of multipurpose forest in which definitions of
    17        ecological sustainability was included, and since 1985
    18        British forestry has been managed taking biodiversity into
    19        consideration in very specific terms.
    20
    Q.   So, was Britain ahead of other countries in that respect?
    22        A.  Britain has taken a lead in both the Helsinki meeting
    23        and the recent one in India, and has been very much
    24        involved with its own representation and government
    25        representation in the United Nations conference on economic
    26        development that took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
    27
    28   Q.   As far as Europe is concerned, this resolution was passed,
    29        was that the first time it had been recognised
    30        European-wide?
    31        A.  In Helsinki?
    32
    33   Q.   In Helsinki, that the sustainability also included
    34        ecological?
    35        A.  Well, that conference followed the 1992 Rio de Janeiro
    36        conference.  By that time it had very much established the
    37        position in relation to the environment on a broad basis,
    38        including biodiversity.
    39
    40   Q.   So, it is the 1992 Rio conference then that was the
         cross-roads, if you like?
    42        A.  It was the first international statement in which all
    43        the countries attending that conference, over 70 of them
    44        signed a document of forest principles which included
    45        environmental statements, very broad environmental
    46        statements.
    47
    48   Q.   I am just trying to get the respective time scales.  Do you
    49        happen to know the positions on the word "sustainability"
    50        in the relevant countries from your report -- let us start 
    51        with the United States:  Do you happen to know when, if you 
    52        like, the official government and industry position on 
    53        sustainability was similar to that, became similar to that?
    54        A.  I think it was very much more specific to given
    55        situations of environmental concern.  It was never really a
    56        federal statement in the early stages; it was individual
    57        states that were faced with particular problems of
    58        environmental concern, raised either locally or nationally
    59        but in concern to a region.  Therefore, decisions were
    60        being made and judgments being made in the court from about