Meeting organized by the Ministry of Environment in Ecuador
The Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment (MAE) is implementing a new online administration system to register and control harvest, transportation and commercialization of forest products. To teach the users the new procedures, a campaign headed by the MAE’s Statistics department is in process. To that purpose, last June 25, 2012, a meeting organized by MAE was held in San Miguel de los Bancos (Northwest Pichincha), which was attended by ~80 harvesters, carriers, retailers, traders and conservationists. Renato Valencia and Carolina Altamirano from PALMS’ Policy of sustainable management component (WP6) were invited to communicate information about palm products harvest and trade in this area. They presented a study case focused in two palm species heavily collected in the area and showed how the present day practices have put in serious risk of local extinction to two arborescent palms, Iriartea deltoidea and Wettinia quinaria. They also took this opportunity to give a written report that summarizes the main results and a digital database of ~7000 mobilization guides obtained from a paper archive maintained by the local technical office of MAE. The study was based on this information as well as on fieldwork and interviews. The suggestions made to improve the administration system of NTFPs were welcomed by the officials and the public in general.
