Government approval for Sunrise Investment Ltd to fell protected Tubi trees sparks concern over legality
In an Extra-Ordinary Gazette (No. 136) dated 1 October 2025, two legal notices were issued — one by the Director of Environment and Conservation, Mr. Joseph Hurutarau [Legal Notice 419], and another by Polycarp Paea, Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology [Legal Notice 420]. Both notices were dated 26 September 2025.
Under Legal Notice No. 419, the Director of Environment and Conservation, Mr. Joseph Hurutarau, acting under Section 8 of the Wildlife Protection and Management Act 1998, declared Sunrise Investment Ltd as an approved person for the purpose of exporting Tubi trees for a period of 12 months, having complied with Regulation 9 of the Wildlife Protection and Management Regulations 2008 (Legal Notice No. 78 of 2008). This approval allows Sunrise Investment Ltd to fell or log Tubi (Xanthostemon) trees for export for 12 months.
Legal Notice No. 420, also dated 26 September 2025, published in the same Gazette, grants approval to a management programme submitted by Sunrise Investment Ltd. The Minister issued this under Section 6 of the Wildlife Protection and Management Act 1998 (No. 10 of 1998), taking into account matters specified in Regulation 6 of the Wildlife Protection and Management Regulations 2008. The declaration formally endorses this as an Approved Management Programme under the Act.
These legal notices increase the number of times responsible ministries have approved Tubi harvesting. This species remains protected because it occurs mainly in parts of Isabel and Choiseul. While the growing number of approvals is a concern, Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) is particularly worried about the company granted this latest approval — Sunrise Investment Ltd.
Sunrise Investment Ltd is well-known to the media, the courts, and the Executive Government. It was previously found guilty by the Magistrates’ Court for illegally felling Tubi using a fake gazette notice. Despite this, no authority has pursued further action against the company for that offence, nor has the investor appealed the court’s ruling. The new approvals by the Director and Minister raise questions of logic, governance, and public trust.
The approved management programme includes several legally binding provisions for Sunrise to follow. It states that selective harvesting and export will target only Tubi trees in designated blocks of the Korona Customary Land Concession Area in Isabel Province, under an approved harvesting plan. However, ambiguity remains regarding whether these designations are for mining or logging purposes. If the concessions are mining-related, it raises questions about whether Sunrise Investment Ltd — a mining company or associated entity — holds interests in the mining lease area.
Issuing such blanket legal notices appears inconsistent. The Executive Government should restrict Tubi felling strictly to areas of active mining operations, not entire lease areas. In its current form, the approval risks enabling investors to exploit resources beyond legitimate mining zones.
The case of Ms. Ethel Claudia Clency highlights ongoing issues. Some mining companies are labelling tenements as Mining Lease Areas without proper land acquisition processes or tribal boundary identification. With these designations, companies occupy and exploit land, causing severe environmental damage. Investors should be legally required to assist customary landowners in milling logs rather than taking them at minimal cost.
Another major concern is the 12-month logging period for this protected species. While the management plan looks comprehensive on paper, effective implementation requires years of nursery establishment and replanting — activities demanding resources and technical expertise. Without close supervision, these measures risk remaining symbolic. Given the Ministry’s own admission of limited resources, monitoring compliance may prove challenging.
Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) condemns this decision, questioning the government’s commitment to environmental protection, good governance, accountability, and climate action. Allowing a company previously convicted of illegal felling to resume operations undermines institutional credibility. Investigations by the Foreign Investment Division (FID) in 2019–2020 found that Sunrise Investment Ltd breached the Foreign Investment Act by operating in a restricted sector reserved for Solomon Islanders and violating Section 11 of the Wildlife Protection and Management Act 1998.
Despite these breaches, no action has been taken under Section 23 of the Foreign Investment Act 2005 (as amended 2009), which empowers the Registrar to deregister non-compliant companies.
Previous gazettes have similarly approved the harvesting of protected species such as Tubi and Kauri. For instance, the 02 May 2018 Gazette issued by Samuel Manetoali, then Minister for Forestry and Research, permitted only constituency-level harvesting tied to nickel mining tenements. Another Gazette dated 17 January 2024, issued by Stanley Sofu, approved a management plan by Bulacan International (SI) for harvesting Tubi — a company linked to Solomon Islands Mining Company Limited in Choiseul. The question remains: is the Ministry ensuring compliance?
If successive governments continue approving Tubi logging, they risk rendering its protected status meaningless. Such practices disadvantage customary owners and deplete national biodiversity. Exploiting legal loopholes and weak enforcement allows profits to leave the country while communities gain little.
Transparency Solomon Islands calls for stronger scrutiny, enforcement of existing laws, and policies that protect biodiversity, uphold customary rights, and ensure sustainable benefit for all Solomon Islanders.
SOURCE : Transparency Solomon Islands
