New satellite data obtained by RAN has revealed steady, continued deforestation taking place within one of the most critical lowland rainforest habitat corridors left in Indonesia. Located inside the globally important Leuser Ecosystem on the island of Sumatra, the active forest clearance is taking place in a palm oil concession operated by a plantation company called PT Nia Yulded (PT NY) and is occurring despite a presidential moratorium banning any further forest clearance for palm oil, which has included a special emphasis on the need to protect the biologically diverse forests of the Leuser.

GPS: 4° 31′ 9.792″ N, 97° 45′ 9.234″ E

New satellite data obtained by RAN has revealed that a month after President Jokowi announced a three-year moratorium on the issuance of palm oil permits, as well as a review of existing permits, the Indonesian government-linked palm oil company PT Perkebunan Nusantara I (PTPN I) has continued to clear forests within an important corridor for the endangered Sumatran elephant inside the Leuser Ecosystem. PTPN I is operating in breach of the moratorium on forest destruction in the Leuser Ecosystem and should be subject to an investigation by the Indonesian Ministry of  Environment and Forestry.

GPS: 2°51’33.54”N, 97°54’07.98”E PT. Indo Sawit Perkasa (PT. ISP) has continued to clear critically important lowland rainforests in its palm oil concession. Between June 2016 and September 2018, 125 hectares of forests were destroyed within the PT. ISP concession. Approximately 100 hectares alone have been cleared since January 2018, indicating an increase in destruction over the past nine months. This destruction was done in violation of a circular letter issued by a former governor of Aceh in June 2016 that instructed all palm oil companies to cease forest clearance.

Between April and May 2018, four separate areas of critical lowland rainforests in the Leuser Ecosystem were destroyed. According to satellite analysis, a combined total of 35 hectares of forest were cleared. This increase in deforestation over recent months signals the need for further action by global brands, palm oil traders and governments to halt the destruction.