Bose Vavataga 
Fiji Pine Trust is calling for a bigger share in Fiji Pine Ltd.
It says landowners are still carrying the cost of forests lost during the 1987 coup.
The Trust stated that many families worked for years to rebuild the pine industry after large areas were damaged.
It says those losses were never fully recognised.
Increasing the Trust’s shareholding, it said would be a fair way to address what landowners went through.
The State owns 99.8 per cent of Fiji Pine Ltd while the Trust holds 0.02 per cent.
According to the spokesperson, landowners carried the industry after 1987. They rebuilt plantations through the 1990s while receiving little return.
They say dividend payments only started this year, even though the company is now making strong profits.
Many landowners, they say still struggle.
The spokesperson said they were three years old during the coup. They later learned how that period separated families and disrupted livelihoods.
They say they have forgiven the Prime Minister for his role in 1987.
But they believe pine landowners still need compensation for the damage and missed opportunities that shaped their lives.
The Trust says landowners see themselves as stewards of the forests.
They want a stronger future for the next generation.
A bigger share in Fiji Pine Ltd, they said would recognise the sacrifices made by their fathers and secure long-term stability for landowning groups.
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