"We should think of our children, and plant more trees to protect their future".

That's the comment of the Permanent Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry, Commander Viliame Naupoto, while addressing the members of the Lau Provincial Council yesterday.

He said the Government's aim is to plant 1 million trees by April 2011.

Commander Naupoto said trees provide us with income and contribute to our overall well-being, and we should have a replanting program to ensure that our children can also reap the benefits.

A good example is the sandalwood trees, planted by birds who carry the seedlings and grow wherever they drop it, and due to the high dollar value it carries with it, particularly in Asian countries, people are cutting it down fast and are not replanting.

Naupoto added that to counter this, there is a corporate plan within the Ministry that will teach the people how to breed the seedlings and then replant.

He said the main initiative here is to teach the people to not only know how to cut down the trees but how to plant it.


Story by: Silina Navuso