07/26/00 -- Renewed Drive to Fight Illegal Logging Continues

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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

Renewed Drive to Fight Illegal Logging Continues

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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org

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

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

07/26/00

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY

In the face of continued pressure from Greenpeace and others, the G8

announced at the end of their summit that they support sustainable

forest management and intend to "combat illegal logging and protect

the eco-system". Given the lack of action following similar pledges

in the past, this is unlikely to have an immediate significant impact,

but at least the issue continues to gain prominence. Meanwhile,

Greenpeace brought their hard-hitting campaign to highlight

consumption of illegally harvested timber to the United States. A

Danish ship docked in Savannah, Georgia was boarded in protest of

illegal harvesting of timber from the Amazon rain forest. The ship

carried plywood from a Malaysian trading company that has been found

in possession of illegal timber. A recent Greenpeace study uncovered

hard evidence that many companies who regularly export timber to the

U.S. and elsewhere are implicated in the illegal timber trade,

including the Rimbunan Hijau group, one of the world's top rainforest

destroyers.

In related news, the damning report about the destruction of tropical

forests by multinational companies, that was suppressed and then

recently released in a slightly sanitized form, is now available in

its original version on the Internet. The German rainforest group

Rettet den Regenwald ( regenwald@umwelt.ecolink.org ) has released the

original which contains names and facts about companies responsible

for corrupt predatory logging. Please check it out at:

http://www.umwelt.org/regenwald/JointReport.pdf. With the recent

flurry of hard documentation and non-violent direct action, I sense

momentum building within the rainforest conservation movement, and

expect that shortly predatory logging of ancient forests will be only

a shameful memory.

g.b.

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ITEM #1

Title: G8 summit: New drive to fight illegal logging

Date: July 24, 2000

Leaders of the world's most powerful nations moved yesterday to

tighten up the $70bn global timber trade in a renewed drive to combat

illegal logging and protect the eco-system, writes Jonathan Watts.

The G8 endorsed the need for sustainable forest management when they

pledged in a final communiqu,: 'We will examine how best we can combat

illegal logging, including export and procurement practices.'

Environmentalists welcomed the fresh impetus for the campaign to

conserve the world's ancient forests, being depleted at the rate of

one football pitch every two seconds.

The G8 consume 74% of the world's forestry product exports, but they

have been criticised for paying too little attention to where their

timber comes from.

In Brazil, the government says illegal logging operations account for

80% of the trees chopped down in the Amazon rainforest.

But loose regulations and poor oversight make it almost impossible to

assess whether a log has been obtained from a sustainable source or

from ecologically precious forests.

Under a British initiative, the governments of the G8 agreed yesterday

to set an example by considering ways to ensure that public purchases

of timber come from approved businesses, such as those certified by

the Forestry Stewardship Council.

By also promising to look into export practices, the G8 took a step

further on the logging issue than in previous summits.

However, Canada, the main timber exporter among the group, and Japan,

the main importer, remain reluctant to establish a new system of

rules.

Conservationists welcomed the G8 move, but they said the words would

have to be backed up by actions if they were not to suffer the fate of

initiatives made at the Birmingham summit two years ago, which have

made little progress.

'This is a welcome shift of direction,' said Martin Kaizer of

Greenpeace.

'We are very happy that procurement practices have been mentioned, but

now we must watch carefully to ensure that this plan is implemented.'

During the summit, four Greenpeace activists were arrested and the

group's ship - the Rainbow Warrior - was raided by riot police after

they tried to deliver eight logs to the G8 leaders.

ITEM #2

Title: Timber protesters arrested

Date: July 25, 2000

Seven Greenpeace activists faced charges today after some of them

boarded a Danish ship at a private dock in Savannah, Georgia, to

protest the illegal harvesting of timber in the Amazon rain forest.

The arrests occurred after two women and three men boarded the Danish-

flagged ship CIC Light at the Georgia Steamship dock on Monday to

prevent importation of timber from South America.

All seven were charged with trespassing, and three of them were

released on $350 bond. The Immigration and Naturalization Service

detained four nationals from Germany, Belgium and Britain for possible

deportation, Greenpeace said.

Five of the activists tied themselves to the ship with ropes and

unfurled a banner that read "Stop Illegal Logging." Two of the

protesters fell into the water when crew members cut their ropes.

There were no injuries.

Chatham County sheriff's officials and the U.S. Coast Guard arrested

the five who had boarded the ship, a man who had driven the group onto

Georgia Steamship property and a British man who piloted a safety

boat.

Greenpeace said the ship had arrived from a Brazilian port and was

carrying plywood from a Malaysian trading company that has been fined

by Brazil in the past for possession of illegal timber.

"Every week, criminal timber is being shipped into the U.S. from

around the world. The U.S. government promised to tackle the illegal

timber trade and is simply turning a blind eye to this flourishing

market," Greenpeace activist Scott Paul said.

The ship's commercial agent, Kevin Russom, said the cargo was legal.

He said wood products headed for the CIC Light have frequently been

inspected by Brazilian environmental authorities.

"This lumber that's loaded on our ship has gone through two different

Brazilian organizations. One is their forestry association and the

other is their customs group. All the documents are checked out before

the lumber is ready to load," Russom said.

Greenpeace has stepped up its timber protests in connection with the

recent Group of Eight meeting in Japan, complaining that governments

have not taken action promised at the 1997 summit of the G-8.

ITEM #3

Title: CREW REACTS VIOLENTLY TO CRIMINAL TIMBER PROTEST

Two activists drop from bow, seven arrested.

Source: Greenpeace PressAlert

Date: July 24, 2000

SAVANNAH, GA, July 24, 2000- Seven Greenpeace activists were arrested

after five members of their group boarded the Danish vessel CIC Light

to spotlight the shipping of criminal timber from the Amazon

rainforest.

The ship's crew reacted suddenly and violently upon spotting the

activists. Two activists were unfurling a large banner which was

snatched away. Two other activists' ropes were cut as they attempted

to climb aboard the ship. The activists plunged from the side into the

water where they were subsequently rescued by Greenpeace activists in

an inflatable boat. Three activists, Veronica Froelich from the U.S.,

Heike Staudigl from Germany, and Paul Goyvaerts from Belgium, remained

on board. All three carried smaller banners.

"This reaction is only a symptom of the violence that pervades the

global illegal timber trade," said Scott Paul, Greenpeace Forest

Campaigner. "Every week criminal timber is being shipped into the U.S.

from around the world. The U.S. Government promised to tackle the

illegal timber trade, and is simply turning a blind eye to this

flourishing market."

Police officers boarded the ship and arrested the three activists who

remained onboard the ship. The two activists who were dropped into

the water, Christian Jonuschies from Germany and Jim Klein from the

U.S., eventually boarded the ship and remained roped to the bow until

they were taken into custody by the U.S. Coast Guard. The drivers of

the safety boat and the van, James Mitchell and Dexter Sumner, were

also arrested. All were arrested by the Chatham County Sheriff's

department on a simple misdemeanor trespass charge.

A recent Greenpeace 18-month investigation in remote regions of the

Amazon uncovered hard evidence that several companies who regularly

export timber to the U.S. are implicated in the illegal timber trade

including the Rimbunan Hijau group, one of the world's top rainforest

destroyers. The Brazilian Government estimates that 80% of all logging

in the Brazilian Amazon is illegal.

This Greenpeace action is the latest in a series of global protests to

protect the Earth's last remaining ancient forests. In the past weeks,

Greenpeace activists around the world have exposed criminal timber

imports into G8 countries.

CONTACT:

Scott Paul, (202) 256-0676 (cell); Carol Gregory, (202) 256-4041

(cell);

Aaron Bannon (202) 319- 2432; or visit the Greenpeace website,

www.greenpeaceusa.org

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