population of some 55 million, which plays a significant role in the supply of a natural, raw material that has adorned yacht interiors and mainly their exterior decks for hundreds, if not thousands of years.


I


That country, of course, is Burma, now widely referred to as Myanmar, although both names are still being used. I am, of course, referring to natural grown teak, and although other Asian countries and different regions, Africa and South America, for example, grow and harvest teak, it’s Myanmar that accounts for around 80% of the world’s commercially available supply.


Rising demand over the past 20 to 30 years has caused a steady depletion of teak forests through lack of control, with unscrupulous growers and traders cutting down, exporting and supplying logs before they were fully mature. This caused the


142 | SUMMER 2018 | ONBOARD


n South East Asia, nestling between Thailand, China, India and Bangladesh, there’s a sovereign state, with a


Myanmar government to step in and, with further help from bodies of concern such as the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes), the situation, while still far from being entirely perfect, has greatly improved, with common certifications in place to prove Myanmar wood has come from legal, sustainable and well-managed sources.


A respected Belgian timber importer I spoke to said: “The Myanmar government has put a lot of policies in place to secure the long- term supply. They have decreased the annual allowable cut significantly (the maximum amount of trees that can be harvested in 1 year), so forests can re-grow even faster. Also a lot of plantation forests have been planted over the years, which they will start to harvest soon. The government is well aware of the value of its forests, both economically and ecologically, and the only way to keep and grow their precious asset is by its long term management.


TEAK SOLUTIONS Teak Solutions was founded nearly 25 years ago and has matured from a reputable but small family firm located in San Diego to an organisation simultaneously working worldwide on projects for multiple clients. Their reputation has been earned after years of installing bullet proof decks on yachts that have stood the test of time. They are also able to rescue existing decks that have voids under them created by water ingress using our patented “RESIN INFUSION SYSTEM” which saves the client enormous outlay on a new deck by infusing the voids with their own epoxy developed over years of research. Should you desire to work with them, you will find a fair trading partner who guarantees their work backed by a 2 year worldwide guarantee. Teak Solutions is first and foremost an OEM supplier of expertly designed, manufactured, fitted and maintained teak decks. For more details Tel: +34 93 221 77 74 or visit www.teaksolutions.com


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