ANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR – MAY, 2009
The nation's capital is nestled among ridges and valleys of Limestone that provide natural lookouts and viewpoints. At an altitude of 1500m the climate is one of the coolest on the island but population density and poverty are the worst.
ANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST, 2009
Ancient Renaults and Citreons ply the French colonial streets of the capital and all the major satellite towns. With no public transport or official bus system these small taxi's often crammed to breaking point ferry people and goods across town and through the suburbs. Much of Antananarivo’s architecture remains from French colonial period. A lone Renault 4 taxi illuminates the streets of Antananarivo. Since a political terrorism scare in March the street's remain eerily quiet after 9pm. Partly due to a weakly enforced curfew but also due to the rising crime levels and violent crime since the enforcement system began deteriorating.
FORT DAUPHIN, MADAGASCAR – MAY, 2009
Fishing is yet to be commercialised of mechanised in Madagascar. Fishermen operate independently before selling their catch to the market traders or simply providing for their family. The ocean's bounty is plentiful and diverse as are the methods of capture.
SAMBAVA, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST, 2009
At sundown local herdsmen shepherd their zebu cattle from fields to the local market along the beach. Zebu, a variant of Kenyan cattle, forms a large portion of the Malagasi diet. Slash and burn practice to create pasture is a major contributor to deforestation across the island.
FORT DAUPHIN, MADAGASCAR – MAY, 2009
A beached ship lists on the beach North of the port, Fort Dauphin. The bay contains treacherous tides and shifting sand bars and along the beach lie over 30 shipwrecks. With cargo being easily salvageable it is known that many unserviceable vessels end their days here for fraudulent insurance claims.
DIAGEO, MADAGASCAR – MAY, 2009
A Kenya soldier keeps vigil over the Commonwealth Graveyard at Diageo Suarez in the very North of the island. Maintain by the commonwealth graves commission this silent oasis of grass and shrubs is a stark contrast to the surrounding city. Over 200 graves of British and East African Regiment headstones commenorate the violent conflict between English and French troops over a well guarded harbour.
FORT DAUPHIN, MADAGASCAR – MAY, 2009
Abandoned Chinese freight containers provide shelter and housing for the unemployed residents of Fort Dauphin. Fort Dauphin has suffered since the halt of international trade with former port employees falling further below the poverty line and unable to gain work in the Rio Tinto controlled ilmenite industry.
FORT DAUPHIN, MADAGASCAR – MAY, 2009
Abandoned Chinese freight containers provide shelter and housing for the unemployed residents of Fort Dauphin. Fort Dauphin has suffered since the halt of international trade with former port employees falling further below the poverty line and unable to gain work in the Rio Tinto controlled ilmenite industry.
FORT DAUPHIN, MADAGASCAR – MAY, 2009
A labourer tends the grass on the cliffs surrounding Fort Dauphin with a traditional sickle.
DOANY, MADAGASCAR – MAY 2009
A local Malagasi teacher pauses on the long road from Andapa to Doany. The recent political crisis in Madagascar has seen many service sectors such as education fall into steep decline.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER, 2009
A bridge crosses one the many rtributaries along Cap D'Est. These antique bridges and the simple road providsew the highway for wood travelling North to Antalaha. The rivers themselves are used to export float and canoie water from deep in the forest to the coast road.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 25, 2009
Rosewood and axemen are transported downstream in Masoala National Park by pirogue canoe. Once the water becomes deep enough the timber is stripped of its raft and canoed 2 days downstream to meet a tractor transport.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER 27, 2009
Loggers and wood traders scout for and fell the 3 prescious woods of Masoala national park. When working undercover these loggers were the invaluable guides and provided evidence for EIA deep into the forest.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 21, 2009
A Malagasi worker swings his primitive axe on the precious rosewood tree. Despite its enormous sales value overseas, each worker is paid less than 3E per day. The wood is extracted deep from within the National Parks and is financed by powerful local traders. After 4 months of continued unchecked extraction labourers must now trek deeper into the forest to find stock. This image was taken after a 3 day trek and by delicately entering dialogue with the loggers working the forest.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 21, 2009
A team of young men drag a rosewood log from the site of felling to the rafting encampments further downstream. The logs are dragged 1m at a time in teams of 4 or 5 for upto 6km along the stream beds. The work is extremely physical and songs are chanted to help with the timing of each movement. Injuries to limbs are extremely common.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 20, 2009
A team of young men drag a rosewood log from the site of felling to the rafting encampments further downstream. The logs are dragged 1m at a time in teams of 4 or 5 for upto 6km along the stream beds. The work is extremely physical and songs are chanted to help with the timing of each movement. Injuries to limbs are extremely common.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 22, 2009
A logging encampment deep in the Masoala Forest National Park. At each stage in the transport large encampments exist along the rivers of the National Park. At this camp over 100 men stage daily expeditions into the forest in search of rose ood or to work the ropes dragging it down stream. The camps are based on crude structures of palm leaves across a-frames and arranged into teams normally associated with a single patron or sub-collector.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 22, 2009
A logging encampment deep in the Masoala Forest National Park. At each stage in the transport large encampments exist along the rivers of the National Park. At this camp over 100 men stage daily expeditions into the forest in search of rose ood or to work the ropes dragging it down stream. The camps are based on crude structures of palm leaves across a-frames and arranged into teams normally associated with a single patron or sub-collector.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 26, 2009
A logging encampment where rondin arriving by canoe are transferred to tractor near the village of Ambonimagy. Workers load the timber before the tractor departs on the 8 hour journey by rough track to the depots of traders at Antalaha.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 22, 2009
A logging encampment deep in the Masoala Forest National Park. At each stage in the transport large encampments exist along the rivers of the National Park. At this camp over 100 men stage daily expeditions into the forest in search of rose ood or to work the ropes dragging it down stream. The camps are based on crude structures of palm leaves across a-frames and arranged into teams normally associated with a single patron or sub-collector.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 22, 2009
A logging encampment deep in the Masoala Forest National Park. At each stage in the transport large encampments exist along the rivers of the National Park. At this camp over 100 men stage daily expeditions into the forest in search of rose ood or to work the ropes dragging it down stream. The camps are based on crude structures of palm leaves across a-frames and arranged into teams normally associated with a single patron or sub-collector.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 22, 2009
A logging encampment deep in the Masoala Forest National Park. At each stage in the transport large encampments exist along the rivers of the National Park. At this camp over 100 men stage daily expeditions into the forest in search of rose ood or to work the ropes dragging it down stream. The camps are based on crude structures of palm leaves across a-frames and arranged into teams normally associated with a single patron or sub-collector.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 20, 2009
Rosewood rondin is strapped to lighter timber to make a floating raft. Each rosewood rondin results in over 6 others trees being felled and creepers to be used as rope. These makeshift rafts often disintegrate at each corner or rapid in the river requiring new timber. Teams of young men wait to extract trapped timber often at great personal risk.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 26, 2009
Porters carry rice and food upstream to the logging encampments deep in the national park. Pressure on the resources of the forest mean that birds and lemurs are often used for bushmeat. The high volumer of porters can destroy habitats as paths erode.
MASOALA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 22, 2009
A logging encampment deep in the Masoala Forest National Park. At each stage in the transport large encampments exist along the rivers of the National Park. At this camp over 100 men stage daily expeditions into the forest in search of rose ood or to work the ropes dragging it down stream. The camps are based on crude structures of palm leaves across a-frames and arranged into teams normally associated with a single patron or sub-collector.
MASOALA PENINSULA, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER, 2009
Small sea faring boats transport rosewood from across the Masoala peninsula. The boats land the wood on the beaches south of Antalaha by the cover of night. It is removed they also land wood to other neighbouring islands of Madagascar.
MASOALA PENINSULA, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER, 2009
A military commander drinks and plays dominoes in rose wood country. In October a task force dfrom the capital was sent to the peninsula. Seizing timber and halting its transportation is seen by locals as purely extraction of money. However it is a lear example of the island recognising and taking responsibility for its resources.
ANTALAHA, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER 20, 2009
Mr Roger Thuman, a Malagasi trader of prescious timber disembarks into the Sava Region. Thunam is the main player in illefgal rosewood trade leaving the North East Coast for importers based in China, Europe and the US. He has been imprisioned several times but the weaknesses of the Malagasi legal system and the strength of his finances has ensured no measurable long term effect.
AMPANEFANA, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 18, 2009
Rabe Timoleon, Chef de Triage Forestier, chief of forestry ministry Sambava poses with illegal rosewood stock. Personally authorising the storage, trade and transport of illegal rosewood for the region. Claiming the timber he trades has been felled by the cyclone of 2002 yet was contradicting himself upon interview. Although employed by the region he is certainly profiteering from his position and making no effort to stem the trade.
VOHEMAR, MADAGASCAR – AUGUST 18, 2009
Rosewood depot on the outskirts of the port town of Vohemar. The tiny port of Vohemar is full with containers waiting for export to China and beyond. Traders stockpile wood along to coast waiting for shipments to leave before restocking the port. This depot owned by Mme. 'Kara' Chan Hoylane was estimated to have over 2000 rondin.
ANTALAHA, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER 21, 2009
The timber yard of Roger Thuman, a Malagasi trader of prescious wood, contains thousnds of tonnes of ebony, rosewood and pallisander. The wood is destined to leave the area for China, Europe and US markets as both raw logs and semi-processed pieces.
ANTALAHA, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER 21, 2009
The timber yard of Roger Thuman, a Malagasi trader of prescious wood, contains thousnds of tonnes of ebony, rosewood and pallisander. The wood is destined to leave the area for China, Europe and US markets as both raw logs and semi-processed pieces.
ANTALAHA, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER 21, 2009
The timber yard of Roger Thuman, a Malagasi trader of prescious wood, contains thousnds of tonnes of ebony, rosewood and pallisander. The wood is destined to leave the area for China, Europe and US markets as both raw logs and semi-processed pieces.
ANTALAHA, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER 21, 2009
The timber yard of Roger Thuman, a Malagasi trader of prescious wood, contains thousnds of tonnes of ebony, rosewood and pallisander. The wood is destined to leave the area for China, Europe and US markets as both raw logs and semi-processed pieces.
ANTALAHA, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER 21, 2009
The timber yard of Roger Thuman, a Malagasi trader of prescious wood, contains thousnds of tonnes of ebony, rosewood and pallisander. The wood is destined to leave the area for China, Europe and US markets as both raw logs and semi-processed pieces.
ANTALAHA, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER 21, 2009
The timber yard of Roger Thuman, a Malagasi trader of prescious wood, contains thousnds of tonnes of ebony, rosewood and pallisander. The wood is destined to leave the area for China, Europe and US markets as both raw logs and semi-processed pieces.
VOHEMAR, MADAGASCAR – OCTOBER 23, 2009
Illegal rosewood containers a container in the port town of Vohemar load a boat destined for Mauritius. Each container can hold between 150-250 rondin and is destined for China and in some cases Europe. Although the government issued a blockage on the port the local traders must only pay a token fine before it can be exported.