Valuable hardwoods harvested from Volta Lake

After more than four decades under water, a tropical forest in Ghana is being harvested.

Using Canadian technology, Triton Logging, operating through its Ghanaian subidiary CSR Developments, is harvesting trees in Volta Lake, which was flooded during construction of the Akosombo hydro dam in 1965. The trees are said to be one of the most valuable submerged timber resources in the world, with an estimated log value of US$1-2bn.

Ghana’s government has awarded Triton/CSR the rights to 350,000ha for 25 years.

Using its SHARC harvester, designed for harvesting trees at depths of more than 25m, the company has found odum, ebony and mahogany of a promising size and quality.

At the Forest Stewardship Council’s General Assembly in Malaysia this month Triton will present a paper on the benefits of harvesting submerged forests.