Agarwood Legal Harvesting Methods Definition:
Legal agarwood harvesting methods are controlled, regulated practices of collecting Aquilaria spp. and related genera (e.g., Gyrinops) wood and resin in compliance with national forestry laws and international trade agreements (especially CITES Appendix II). These methods ensure that agarwood production and trade are sustainable, traceable, and non-detrimental to wild populations.
Key Legal Harvesting Practices
- Cultivated Plantation Harvesting
- Agarwood is harvested from legally established plantations registered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) or relevant authority.
- Only trees of permissible age and size are harvested, typically after artificial inoculation or natural infection that produces resin.
- Requires Certificate of Tree Plantation Registration (TPR) and CITES permits for export.
- Natural Mortality Collection
- Resinous wood is gathered from trees that have died naturally or fallen due to age, disease, or storms.
- Collection must be documented and verified by DENR to ensure no illegal cutting of standing wild trees.
- Selective & Licensed Harvesting of Wild Trees (Highly Restricted)
- In rare cases where wild harvesting is allowed, it requires:
- Special harvesting permit from DENR.
- Proof of non-detrimental impact (NDF study).
- Harvest quotas, area monitoring, and replacement planting.
- Typically limited to community-based forest management (CBFM) programs or indigenous peoples’ resource use agreements.
- In rare cases where wild harvesting is allowed, it requires:
- Induced/Inoculated Agarwood Production
- Trees are legally induced (using fungi, bacteria, or chemical methods) to produce resin.
- Harvesting occurs only after regulatory clearance and within plantation or farm boundaries.
- Considered the primary legal method, since it reduces pressure on wild populations.
- Controlled/Certified Trade & Transport
- All harvested agarwood products (chips, oil, powder, handicrafts) must have:
- DENR-issued Certificate of Verification (COV).
- Transport/Export Permits (domestic and international).
- CITES export/import documentation for cross-border trade.
- All harvested agarwood products (chips, oil, powder, handicrafts) must have:
Prohibited (Illegal) Practices
- Cutting wild Aquilaria/Gyrinops trees without permits.
- Harvesting undersized or immature trees.
- Smuggling or exporting without CITES permits.
- Falsifying plantation or origin records.
In short, legal agarwood harvesting is plantation-based, regulated, documented, and CITES-compliant, while illegal harvesting is wild, unregulated, and undocumented.