APEC Fast-tracks Forest Destruction
11/22/97
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Headline: APEC Fast-tracks Forest Destruction
Source: Paige Fischer or David Gordon
415-332-8200
Date: 11/22/97
For Immediate Release
Saturday, November 22, 1997
For More Information:
Paige Fischer or David Gordon
415-332-8200
PRESS RELEASE
Environmentalists Condemn Today's APEC Decision To Put Forests on Fast-Track to
Destruction
The Hon. Sergio Marchi, Canada's Minister of International Trade, announced
today that forest products are slated for deregulation through the APEC
"Early Voluntary Sectoral Liberalization" process. In so doing, he
dismissed environmental concerns about speeding deforestation by stating,
"Burning forests make clearcutting look good."
Environmental NGOs immediately condemned the decision and called on APEC
leaders to reduce barriers to sustaining forest ecosystems before reducing
barriers to the timber trade.
"This plan will jeopardize forests in the Pacific Northwest and around the
Pacific Rim," said Paige Fischer, Director of the Program on APEC and
Forests at the Pacific Environment and Resources Center in California.
"Countries will slash prices of forest products, fuel consumption, and
undermine the ability of local communities everywhere to control the
resources upon which they depend."
"Japan is the world leader in importing forest products," said Eiichiro
Noguchi of Friends of the Earth - Japan. "More trade will lead to even
greater pressures on North American forest ecosystems while devastating
Japan's domestic timber industry and local forestry jobs."
"Irresponsible forest management has been the primary cause of the forest
fires in Indonesia and Malaysia and the rapid deforestation of British
Columbia, the United States, Chile, and other parts of the Asia-Pacific,"
said David Gordon, Acting Executive Director of Pacific Environment and
Resources Center. "Minister Marchi's assertion that clearcutting is better
than burning ignores the fact that the timber trade is driving both
deforestation and forest fires throughout the Asia-Pacific."
"This undemocratic decision was made behind closed doors without any
consultation with forest ecologists or local communities that will be
directly affected," said Pat Rasmussen of Leavenworth Adopt-A-Forest in
Washington State. "We demand community sovereignty over forests, water,
fish and land. No decisions about our homes can be made without our full
consent. Our life depends on it."
"We need community-based forest economies, not increased dependence on
fluctuating world markets," said Greg Higgs of the Forest Action Network in
Canada. "APEC can only be bad for B.C."
Environmental NGOs called on APEC countries to halt further discussions to
deregulate trade in forest products until they work with the public to
ensure environmentally responsible forest management.