“FIRES ACROSS ENTIRE LANDSCAPE”
More than 1 million hotspots were recorded by satellite data this year, reigniting debate over the source of fires, according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). It estimates nearly 900,000 hectares in Kalimantan, including national parks, have been affected by fires this year.
The RSPO, an industry watchdog, has defended certified plantation operators in Malaysia and Indonesia, arguing that available data does not support the perception that most fires originate within palm oil concessions – areas of land licensed for such production.
“The fires are across the entire landscape,” said RSPO chief executive Joseph D’Cruz.
“At the moment, the data from Indonesia shows 92 per cent of that is outside oil palm concession areas. So the perception that this is being done by oil palm players within oil palm concessions actually isn’t backed up by the evidence.”
Singapore-listed palm oil producer First Resources and Bumitama Agri said on Friday (Oct 16) that current hotspots were largely concentrated in regions where the firm does not operate and cited prolonged dry conditions as a key driver of elevated fire risk.
First Resources also said in a separate regulatory filing on Thursday that there had been instances where fires originating outside its boundaries spread into areas under its management, adding that the presence of hotspots within a concession should not automatically be taken as evidence that a concession holder caused or condoned a fire.
Still, D’Cruz acknowledged public frustration and said the industry needed to respond more proactively and collectively to minimise reputational damage to Indonesia and Malaysia, the world’s two largest palm oil producers.
“The focus right now should be on trying to protect the things that are most important: the communities, the high conservation areas, and learning the lessons we can from this current outbreak to ensure that once and for all we put systems in place to prevent this happening again,” he said.
