GIZO: A TRIBE on Vella, Western Province has opted for carbon trading instead of logging their land for commercial gain.
The tribe made the decision after several communities and tribes in Choiseul and Western Provinces started benefiting from the carbon trading initiative after formally registering their tribes into associations.
To be part of the carbon trading initiative, tribes will first register their tribes into associations and start conserving their forests.
Assessments and recommendations will be conducted by recognized environment organisations before approval is granted.
Once approval is granted, the associations can continue to conserve their forests.
Several tribes in the country have already benefited financially from this initiative.
The benefit of carbon trading is that tribes can benefit financially from the initiative and at the same time conserve their forests and natural resources instead of exploiting them by logging.
Through this practice future generations can also benefit from the forests by using preserved trees to build their houses, have access to clean drinking water from their rivers and also use trees for medication.
The benefits from carbon trading are what attracted the tribe in Vella to consider registering their tribe as an association to sign up for the carbon trading scheme.
A spokesperson for the Vella tribe Jones Gago told Solomon Star Gizo that discussions between tribal members have been held and they have expressed full support for the initiative.
Mr Gago said tribe members also agreed that logging is not the way forward for their land.
He said further talks with relevant organisations to register the tribe and how to sign up for the carbon trading initiative will be undertaken this year.
He said tribal members are excited about the idea and more will be undertaken this year to formally register their tribe as an association before applying for the initiative.
A tribe in Choiseul Province, Sirebe Tribe, is the first in the country to receive carbon credit.
The tribe received $SBD300,000 (US$51,000) from carbon trading after 10 years of conservation work in their land.
By MOFFAT MAMU
