Apres avoir culmine en 2009 et 2010, l’exploitation de bois de rose a ralenti suite a une interdiction d’exportation adoptee par le gouvernement de transition de Madagascar (HAT) en reponse a la pression internationale croissante se referant au trafic illegal de bois de rose causant la destruction des forets officiellement protegees. Le principal de ces bois precieux illegaux etait destine a la Chine. A la suite de l’interdiction d’exportation, un volume consequent de bois de rose est a present stocke dans les villages et les ports le long de la cote nord-est de Madagascar, sachant cependant que le volume exact n’est pas bien defini dans la mesure ou l’inventaire est en cours et que le processus ouvre ainsi la possibilite d’ajouter de nouveaux bois fraichement exploites aux stocks anciens. Cela signifie qu'il n’existe pour le moment aucune estimation precise du volume de bois precieux exploites sous un permis (et a l’exterieur des limites des aires protegees) ou de maniere illegale a l’interieur des limites des aires protegees. Le 25 aout 2011 une reunion se deroulant dans la region SAVA entre les representants de la HAT et les trafiquants de bois de rose a revele que le gouvernement voulait mettre un terme au trafic illegal et n’autorisait donc plus aucune exportation de bois de rose. Dans un avis du 12 juillet 2011, l’UNESCO a propose d’eliminer tous les stocks dans un delai de 12 a 18 mois suivant leur saisie ; entre temps, la Banque mondiale cherchait comment vendre ces stocks de bois illegaux de facon responsable et transparente afin de financer les efforts destines a proteger la biodiversite des forets humides de Madagascar. A ce stade, on ne sait pas comment la HAT va gerer ce stock de bois precieux. Le journal MCD observe le processus et voudrait donner la parole a quelques experts et praticiens impliques dans cette crise du bois de rose. Madagascar’s rosewood stocks – which way to go? After peaking in 2009 and 2010, rosewood logging has slowed due to an export ban enacted by Madagascar's transitional government (HAT) in response to growing international pressure over the illegal traffic of rosewood causing the degradation of the country’s formally protected forests. Most of the illegally sourced rosewood was destined for China. As a consequence of the export ban much of the rosewood is now sitting in villages and ports along the northeastern coast of Madagascar, and it is not clear how much of the rosewood stock has been inventoried by authorities given that it is an ongoing process, leaving open the possibility that newly-logged wood is being added to stockpiles. This means that currently there is no clear picture of how much of the rosewood is been harvested with permits (i.e., from outside protected areas) or illegally from within protected areas. On 25 August 25 2011 a meeting in the SAVA region between HAT representatives and the rosewood traffickers revealed that the government wants to stop the illegal traffic and consequently will not allow any further exportation of rosewood. In a paper issued on 12 July, UNESCO proposed to eliminate all of the stocks within 12-18 months of the seizure of the wood; in the meantime, the World Bank is exploring a way to responsibly and transparently sell illegal timber stockpiles as a means to finance efforts for conserving Madagascar’s rainforest biodiversity. At this point, it is not clear how the HAT may deal with the stocked rosewood. The journal MCD is observing this process and would like to give voice to some of the experts and practitioners involved in this rosewood crisis.