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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

Activists Board Russian Freighter Containing Illegal Timber

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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org

http://forests.org/ -- Forest Conservation Archives

http://forests.org/web/ -- Discuss Forest Conservation

07/05/00

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY

Greenpeace appears to have refocused and reenergized their forests

campaign, and is doing what it does best, non-violent protest to

raise awareness. They have just completed a three-day chase of a

Russian freighter containing timber illegally cut in Russia's Far

East. They boarded the ship and chained themselves to the illegally

harvested logs that were bound for Japan. They demanded that Japan

move against illegal wood imports and sought to raise awareness

regarding the depletion of forests ahead of the coming G-8 summit.

Bravo! It is time to again intensify the struggle to protect the

World's remaining ancient and regenerating natural forests using many

different strategies, including non-violent civil disobedience when

necessary.

g.b.

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ITEM #1

Title: Activists Leave Russian Freighter

Source: Copyright 2000, Associated Press.

Date: July 5, 2000

By: Joji Sakurai, Associated Press Writer

TOYAMA, Japan -- After shackling themselves overnight to a cargo of

timber following a three-day high seas chase, Greenpeace activists

left a Russian freighter Wednesday claiming they had raised awareness

of the depletion of protected forests ahead of this month's

G-8 summit.

The standoff with Japanese authorities in this sooty, industrial port

ended when the Coast Guard allowed journalists to meet the six

environmentalists who had chained themselves to a pile of logs on the

rickety cargo ship Byisk.

Greenpeace, which claimed that a large proportion of the Byisk's

timber was cut illegally from Russia's Far East, had initially

demanded guarantees that Japan would move against illegal wood

imports.

But the activists agreed to leave the harbor on their flagship Rainbow

Warrior, docked next to the Byisk, after the Japanese government spoke

to Greenpeace activists in Tokyo and journalists were let through a

cordon keeping them away from the dock.

"Very few people were aware that there was this illegal trade with

Japan," said Greenpeace official Dave Roberts, who was among those

fettered to the logs. "We don't feel that getting people arrested at

this stage is going to further...dialogue."

The standoff with Japanese authorities ended peacefully. But the

voyage to Toyama, 160 miles northwest of Tokyo, had been fraught with

clashes.

After the Byisk left the Russian Far East on Sunday, activists on the

Rainbow Warrior jumped aboard the 2,360-ton Russian ship in

international waters. Russian crewmen threw them back into the Sea of

Japan.

Then, five Greenpeace activists boarded the Russian vessel on Monday

and occupied the logs stacked high on the deck until the ship agreed

to return to Plastun port in the Primorsky region of Russia.

Later, when the Russian ship reversed course and again sailed for

Japan, the Rainbow Warrior resumed its pursuit, and on Tuesday eight

activists briefly boarded the ship before being thrown off it by

crewmen using grappling hooks and high-powered hoses.

Alex Demanchuk, a Russian crew member of the Byisk, shrugged off the

violence.

"It was play," he told The Associated Press. "They were pirates."

He said Japan was to blame if illegal timber made it to the country's

shores.

"Big money, big problem," he said, grinning and rubbing his thumb and

forefinger together.

On Wednesday, many of the Russian crew appeared to be enjoying the

pause in their schedule the environmental fracas had created. A few

rode bikes to nearby shopping districts as Greenpeace held talks with

the Coast Guard.

Greenpeace had also urged the Group of Eight industrial nations, which

will hold a summit in Japan on July 21-23, to enforce a program it

adopted three years ago to stop unlawful lumbering.

Japan's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday the nation planned to put

forestry issues, including illegal logging, on the G-8 agenda,

according to Greenpeace.

But Foreign Ministry official Tetsuji Miyamoto said he had only

reiterated the government's stance that environmental issues were

scheduled to be addressed at the summit. He added the G-8 agenda would

not be influenced by Greenpeace's demands.

Greenpeace began following the Russian ship after investigating for

several months allegedly illegal logging being done in Primorsky, a

region near the Russian, Chinese and North Korean borders. It says at

least 20 percent of the lumber exported from the region was illegally

chopped down.

ITEM #2

Title: Greenpeace Activists Board Ship

Source: Copyright 2000, Associated Press.

Date: July 5, 2000

TOYAMA, Japan (AP) - Six Greenpeace activists who boarded a Russian

freighter and chained themselves to its cargo of wood to protest

illegal logging agreed Wednesday to get off the ship - so long as

journalists were allowed to get on.

``We feel we've accomplished our aim to some extent,'' Greenpeace

spokeswoman Mikiko Fukuda said of the group - three Russians, one

Japanese, one Israeli and one Briton.

After boarding the boat Byisk Tuesday in Toyama, 160 miles northwest

of Tokyo, the activists had said they would stay there until Japan

promised to reduce imports of timber illegally cut from ancient

forests.

Earlier British Greenpeace activist Michelle Sheather was hooked to

the logs and said by cellular phone that the group ``was determined to

stay on board this Russian ship until we get more results ... Our goal

is for Japan to say it will not accept any more illegal logging

imports.''

Japan's central government and the Russian Embassy refused to comment

on the standoff. Japanese Coast Guard officials who boarded the

Byisk did not try to unchain the activists, Sheather said.

Alex Demanchuk, a Russian crew member of the Byisk, shrugged off

Greenpeace's attacks on his vessel. ``It was play,'' he said. ``They

were pirates.''

Alongside the Byisk was a Greenpeace vessel, the Rainbow Warrior,

which the activists had used to follow the Russian ship since it left

the Russian Far East on Sunday with a large cargo of timber.

On Monday and Tuesday, the activists jumped aboard the 2,360-ton Byisk

in international waters, and Russian crewmen threw them back into the

Sea of Japan, Sheather said. No one was seriously injured and a new

group boarded Tuesday night after the Toyama arrived in port, she

said.

Sheather said Greenpeace began following the Russian ship after

investigating logging being done in Primorsky, a region near the

Russian, Chinese and North Korean borders.

She said loggers routinely violate Russian forestry laws by operating

without required permits or with forged ones as they cut down oak,

ash, Korean pine and spruce trees in ancient forests. She said at

least 20 percent of the lumber that is exported from the region was

illegally chopped down.

The Toyama port relies heavily on trade with Russia. Often, Russian

ships that deliver wood there return home carrying exported secondhand

Japanese cars.

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