Forest products are another major source of income for the Solomon Islands. The problem in foresting lies in the present harvest rates. Sustainable harvest rates are being ignored for the big buck. This in turn causes an abnormal amount of barren land that contains soil that moves or runs-off. This run-off causes surrounding water sources to become cloudy and unusable for the people and the organisms that are used to a clearer, less changed water.
Coral reefs are a major loser in the process of deforestation.
Run-off from deforestation spreads into the water ways and those water ways lead towards the coast which directly leads to the coral reefs surrounding the islands. These reefs are fragile and have sustainable conditions that are narrow in range. Deforestation changes these conditions and causes the reefs to die, which also causes a chain reaction of destruction to the organisms which rely on the reefs for subsistence. Mineral mining on the Solomon Islands is another matter of concern. The Pacific Islands are now a big potential source for gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, and nickel.