Mangroves Menaced by Oil companies in Bangladesh
9/1/98
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Mangroves Menaced by Oil companies in Bangladesh
Source: World Rainforest Movement
Status: Distribute freely with proper credit to source
Date: 9/1/98
WORLD RAINFOREST MOVEMENT
MOVIMIENTO MUNDIAL POR LOS BOSQUES
International Secretariat
Oxford Office Instituto del Tercer Mundo
1c Fosseway Business Centre Jackson 1136
Stratford Road Montevideo
Moreton-in-Marsh Uruguay
GL56 9NQ United Kingdom Ph +598 2 409 61 92
Ph. +44.1608.652.893 Fax +598 2 401 92 22 Fax
+44.1608.652.878 EMail: rcarrere@chasque.apc.org EMail: wrm@gn.apc.org
http://www.wrm.org.uy
=================================
W R M B U L L E T I N # 15
SEPTEMBER 1998
=================================
In this issue:
* OUR VIEWPOINT
- International discourse and on-the-ground reality
* LOCAL STRUGGLES AND NEWS
AFRICA
- Ogoni released in Nigeria: a light of hope - Logging in Gabon: the
French colonial approach
ASIA
- Mangroves menaced by oil and gas companies in Bangladesh - Sarawak:
indigenous rights ignored
- Thailand: the strong muscle of the pulp industry - Indonesia: conflict
over oil palm plantations - Vietnam: forestry model in crisis
CENTRAL AMERICA
- Nicaragua: transnational logging company files suit against NGO
NORTH AMERICA
- Greenpeace's virtual boat tour in Canada's rainforests - USA: the death
of David Chain
SOUTH AMERICA
- Eucalyptus and pines in the Bolivian Andes - Brazil: "We want orchards,
not eucalyptus plantations" - Venezuela: increasing conflict with
Jefferson Smurfit - Chile: support for the Mapuche-Pehuenche people needed
EUROPE
- International Conference organised by Taiga Rescue Network
OCEANIA
- Growing concern over plantations in Australia
*WRM GENERAL ACTIVITIES
- News from the International Secretariat
OUR VIEWPOINT
*************
- International discourse and on-the-ground reality
Since the 1992 Earth Summit, many trees have been felled to provide paper
for the voluminous documents produced by a number of intergovernmental
processes --including parallel expert meetings-- aimed at addressing the
urgent problem of deforestation. Many solutions have since then been found
... on paper.
The real world is clearly going in another direction. Forest are set on
fire to give way to "development" plans, including eucalyptus, oil palm,
soya and other monocrops; forests are cleared to be substituted by cattle-
raising; mangroves are disappearing to provide shrimp to mostly Northern
consumers; tropical forests are being destroyed and polluted by oil
exploration and mining; and forests are still being exploited for their
valuable wood.
All the above problems --and more-- had already been highlighted by the
World Rainforest Movement in its 1989 Penang Declaration: "The current
social and economic policies and practices that lead to deforestation
throughout the world in the name of development are directly responsible
for the annihilation of the earth's forests, bringing poverty and misery
to millions and threatening global ecosystems with collapse.
Such policies and practices include: plantations, both for industrial
forestry and for export crops, ranching schemes, dam projects, commercial
logging, colonisation schemes, mining and industry, the dispossession of
peasants and indigenous peoples, roads, pollution, tourism."
Nothing much seems to have changed or to be changing in spite of the
seemingly concerned declarations of the governments of the world. Even
worse, while forests are depleted mostly by greed, many of their hopes are
based on the assumption that free trade will be the solution to the
problem. While most governments --North and South-- either directly or
indirectly continue degrading forests at home and/or abroad, the forest
discussion seems to be going no-where.
In such a context, the World Rainforest Movement and Forests Monitor chose
the second meeting of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (Geneva,
August 1998) to present the results of their joint research on the
activities of Malaysian logging companies abroad. The report ("High
Stakes: the need to control transnational logging companies, a Malaysian
case study"), stresses that "Malaysian-based logging companies are far
from unique in terms of the negative social and ecological impacts that
they cause in some of the countries where they operate".(see for example
the articles on Gabon, Nicaragua, North America and Australia in this
bulletin). However, the activities of Malaysian logging companies
constitute a useful example of the impacts resulting from the
liberalization process promoted by institutions such as the International
Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization.
This report --which will be followed by another on forest destruction by
Canadian mining companies abroad-- shows that transnational companies and
international trade are not only not the solution, but they are in fact an
important part of the problem. While the international governmental
community continues to support the ideologised concept that an abstract
"market" will solve most problems, the real market continues destroying
forests and with them the people that live within. Until such approach
changes, the protection of most forests will depend on the ongoing
struggles of local peoples, supported by local and international citizens'
organizations.
Note: High Stakes is available at WRM's International Secretariat and
Northern Office
LOCAL STRUGGLES AND NEWS
*************
AFRICA
-Ogoni released in Nigeria: a light of hope
The news of the release on September 9th. of the 20 Ogoni youths that had
been held without charge since 1994, is a hope for reconciliation and
peace in the abused and ravaged Niger Delta. The land, waters and the
atmosphere of the Niger Delta have suffered, and continue to suffer much
abuse and the presence of the occupation force officially known as the
Rivers State Internal Security Task Force. Local people have been bearing
the brunt of the adverse effects of oil exploration, exploitation and
transportation, that have proved detrimental to the environment and to
their livelihoods. The dictatorial government of Nigeria has been
defending the interest of the oil giants --Shell, Chevron, Agip, Elf,
Texaco, Mobil-- that continue to destroy peoples' livelihoods and the
environment for their mere profit (see WRM Bulletin 10). Oil companies
enjoy the right cover to disregard safety measures and responses from the
people are readily put down with the help of the apparatus of state
repression, including propaganda against indigenous people of the region,
unfairly considered subversive and dangerous. The Ogoni have been
repressed for the benefit of Shell, while the Ilaje people of Ondo State
have suffered for that of Chevron.
Source: Environmental Rights Action/ FoE Nigeria
*************
- Logging in Gabon: the French colonial approach
Gabon is one of the richest in biodiversity and less populated countries
of Africa. Until a few years ago, 85% of its forests were primary
rainforests, inhabited by indigenous peoples. However, the current
development model --aimed at the exploitation of wood, oil, uranium and
other minerals-- is rapidly destroying those rainforests.
Logging is carried out everywhere and transnational logging companies are
active agents of the destruction of the tropical forests in this country.
Livelihoods of the Pygmy population are disappearing, while gorillas,
chimpanzees, mandrills and elephants are in danger of extinction as a
consequence of hunting.
One specifically rich forest --the Ipassa Mingouli on the Ivindo River--
has been the subject of negotiations between Gabonese authorities, the
Project for Conservation and Sustainable Development Ipassa-Mingouli and
institutions such as IUCN (the World Conservation Union), the European
Union (EU) and UNESCO.
In November 1995 the Rougier Group --the French timber company who has its
logging concessions in the area of the Project - and IUCN signed an
agreement for a sustainable development of natural resources in the area,
financially supported by the EU. Due to various facts, the EU and IUCN
delayed the beginning of the project. In the meantime, the Rougier Group,
without informing its partners, deeply logged inside the core conservation
zone of the Ipassa Mingouli Project and opened roads for logging trucks.
This invasion, carried out by the Rougier Group in the core conservation
zone of the Project, was discovered during the CNN shooting for Wild
Planet programme by the CNN journalist Gary Strieker and the italian
activist Giuseppe Vassallo of WEESA, a recently created environmental
network of students from European Universities.
These events show the social and environmental impacts of the activities
of transnational logging companies in tropical countries, whose profits
stem from the destructive expoitation of local resources to supply wood
for parquet floors and furniture to some privileged people in the North.
Source: Giuseppe Vassallo WEESA (World Eco Emergency Students Action).
email: panda@mv.itline.it Website: www.dna.it/ecowarriors
*************
ASIA
- Mangroves menaced by oil and gas companies in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh the remaining virgin rainforests are near to extinction. The
whole Bangladesh mainland and its off-shore areas are gradually being
leased for oil/gas explorations. Even the Sundarbans, considered a world
heritage and the largest mangrove forest of the globe and only remaining
habitat of royal bengal tiger is being occupied by the exploration
activites of oil/gas companies.
The affected area is one of the 23 blocks into which the government
divided the national territory for the oil/gas exploration activities by
foreign multinational companies. The measure has already been implemented
in nearly half of the country area and is affecting several ecosystems
rich in biodiversity, like the virgin forests of the hilly eastern part of
Bangladesh, streched from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal.
The Sundarbans is a vast tract of mangrove swamp forest situated on the
southwest corner of Bangladesh and forming the lower part of the Ganges
Delta. The name 'Sundarbans' is derived from the term "Sundari", a
reference to the large mangrove tree that provides valuable fuel. It
extends for about 160 miles (260 km) along the coast of the Bay of Bengal
from the Hugly river Estuary in India to the Meghna River Estuary in
Bangladesh.The whole tract reaches inland for 60-80 miles (100-130 km). A
network of tidal rivers and creeks intersect numerous islands. Along the
coast, the forest passes into a mangrove swamp; which is virtually
uninhabited. It is one of the last reserves of the royal bengal tiger and
the site of tiger preservation project. In addition, it supports other
mammals, more than two hundred species of birds, as well as crocodiles,
other reptiles and amphibians. The Sundarbans is also important for its
estuary fisheries and for being a safe winter quarter of several hundred
migratory birds. The cultivated northern area yields rice, sugarcane,
timber and betel nuts, etc. This unique mangrove forest, comprising a
more than 10,300 square kilometre area, has been earmarked as Block nr. 5
in the government's division. It has been leased out to Shell Oil & Cairn
Energy for oil/gas exploration
Friends of the Earth-Bangladesh is seeking international support to halt
Sundarbans destruction. Letters of concern can be sent to the following
authorities and media in Bangladesh:
- Mr. President Justice Sahabuddin Ahmed, Government of the Peoples
Republic of Bangladesh. Fax:880-2- 9566242 - Mr Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina. Fax:880-2-813244 - Mr. State Minister for Energy and Mineral
Resourfes, Prof. Rafiqul Islam,
Fax: 880-2-861110/865097.
- Mr. Sayeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Ministry of Forest and Environment.Fax:
880-2-869210.
- The Bangladesh Observer. Fax : 880-2-9562243 - The Independent. Fax:880-
2-9127722
- The Daily Star.Fax:880-2-863035
- The Financial Express.Fax:880-2-9567049 - The New Nation.Fax:880-2-
9565536
- UNB.Fax:880-2-9344556 or 834602
For more information, please contact: Chowdhury M.F. gbs@dhaka.agni.com
Source: Chowdhury M.F., Friends of the Earth-Bangladesh, August 1998.
*************
- Sarawak: indigenous rights ignored
The Sarawak State government and the Ministry of Resource Planning have
recently proposed to constitute Protected Forest and/or Forest Reserves in
the State, that would encroach on areas claimed as Native Customary Right
(NCR) lands by the various native communities. The risk exists that the
natives will find that their rights to their ancestral lands and forest
will be extinguished in the process, without having been consulted.
Moreover, most of the Protected Forests and Forest Reserves previously
constituted have been licensed out for logging to timber companies, which
have depleted them. On the contrary, native communities of Sarawak have
proved they can utilise, manage and conserve the forest resources in a
truly sustainable manner. Malaysia has ratified the Convention on
Biological Diversity, whose Article 8(j) calls the governments to
"respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of
indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant
for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity..."
Nevertheless, these recommendations have not at been implemented at all.
On September 16th the WRM International Secretariat addressed Malaysian
authorities to express its deep concern for this situation and to ask them
to reconsider this polemic proposal and to expedite the approval of all
applications by the native communities for Communal Forest Reserves.
*************
- Thailand: the strong muscle of the pulp industry
Phoenix Pulp and Paper Company in Khon Kaen province in northeastern
Thailand is the recipient of a large credit extended by the Finnish DIDC
(Department of International Development Cooperation of the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs), former FINNIDA. Between 1990 and 1994 Scandinavian
companies including Ahlstrom, Sunds Defibrator, Valmet and Jaakko Poyry
delivered most of the machinery, equipment and services for the Phoenix
P&P's second pulp line and waste water treatment plant. The second pulp
line increased the mill's production capacity to some 200,000 tonnes per
year, using kenaf (sister plant to jute), bamboo and eucalyptus as raw
materials. This second pulp line is the first mill in South East Asia
producing Elemental Chlorine Free pulp. One of the main arguments for
Finnida's concessional credit was that by supporting the construction of
the waste water treatment plant, the effluents of the pulp mills
discharged into the Phong river would be reduced despite the increase in
production. As part of the solution, Phoenix P&P Co decided to establish a
scheme where the treated effluents would be discharged as irrigation water
to the nearby eucalyptus plantations. This scheme, begun in 1995, received
the name of "Project Green".
Although Phoenix Pulp and Paper Co argues that the effluent-treatment
plant was built to world-class standards and that the effluent quality
even exceeds many Western countries' standards, serious problems have been
reported since Project Green was launched. The waste water discharged to
the eucalyptus fields spreads to the adjoining rice fields, wetlands and
groundwater, harming the agriculture and causing health hazards to the
people. The company has also regularly been accused by local villagers of
the death of a large number of fish in the Phong River.
The Industry Ministry of Thailand on July 20 ordered Phoenix Pulp and
Paper Co to close the first pulp line of the plant for 180 days. "The
closure will last until the company fixes the treatment facility and
prevents untreated water discharged into the plantations from spilling
into Huay Chote, a tributary of Nam (River) Phong", said the decree.
Earlier in July, thousands of fish raised by riverside villagers were
found dead after heavy rain flushed the waste from the ponds and Project
Green areas into the river. The order was based on the company's poor
performance in handling its waste, since the quality of treated water was
below standard.
Phoenix executives rejected the decission and argued that the closure was
politically motivated and would mean the ruin of the company and that of
60,000 farmers who supply it with raw material. The company also considers
this will lead to a total closure of the company, affecting exports and
disrupting the lives of about 4,000 workers and farmers. Surprinsing as
it may seem, even the Science Minister Yingpan Manasikarn warned that the
closure would cause serious economic damage to the country and thousands
of workers would lose their jobs. He said verification of the cause of
pollution was needed before such drastic action was taken against the
company.
Local environmental activists have a different view. They say that the
closure order was a temporary measure when what was needed was a long-term
solution to a problem that has persisted for more than a decade. Saneh
Wichaiwong, manager of Ecological and Development Project of Watershed
Phong River, said the problem woud persist without a total overhaul of the
plant and the introduction of environmentally-sound technology. Activists
consider that since a large number of villagers depend on the plant, the
government should come up with long-term solutions and the company should
compensate villagers who lost their fish.
The decission was implemented on July 29. Two days later the company,
giving no reasons, informed that the second pulp line would also be shut
down. Later the same day, Industry Minister Somsak Thepsuthin visited the
firm to check the situation, and later declared the water in the Phong
River was clean and that it wasn't Phoenix that was creating its
pollution. Such "environmental assessment" was carried out --according to
George Davidson, the chairman of the company-- in the following manner:
"The minister took a glass of water from the canal and said that it was
very clean and good quality water." Local sources said the closure of the
firm's second pulp line was a pressure tactic to force the ministry to
allow the company to open its first line, considering that the new closure
would mean the loss of a source of income for more than 1,200 employees
and some 60,000 northeastern farmers.
At last the company's pressure on the government had the desired effect
and the plant was reopened on August 11, with the main problem still
remaining unsolved.
Source: Based on a summary of press articles performed by PER (Project for
Ecological Recovery), August 1998.
*************
- Indonesia: conflict over oil palm plantations
Since the Indonesian government wants this country to become the first
world exporter of oil palm --overcoming Malaysia-- this industry is
currently undergoing a boom. To face the negative effects that oil palm
plantations are producing at the local level on the environment and on
peasants and their livelihoods, last July a group of Indonesian NGOs
created Sawit Watch (see WRM bulletin nr. 14). Several actions have since
then been carried out.
Oil palm plantation companies PT Batanghari Sawit Sejahtera (BSS) and PT
Dasa Anugerah Sejati (DAS) expropriated lands of people in Tanjung Katung
and Lubuk Bernai villages in Jambi province, in Sumatra. Local people are
now demanding that the Ministry withdraw the license given to those
companies. M. Haris Yatim, one of the villagers, said that PT DAS
expropriated lands of the people with help from the military and local
government officials, by intimidating villagers. Protesters also met the
Agrarian Minister and Head of the National Board for Lands. At the meeting
the Minister offered them to work as contract farmers of the estate owned
by PT. DAS. Taking into account that this scheme --aimed at cash crops,
including oil palm-- has resulted in the deprivation of small farmers of
control over their land and production factors, they rejected this offer
and reaffirmed their demand of getting back their lands. The Minister then
promised them to send a fact-finding team.
After waiting for a whole week, and in the absence of an effective
response, people from eight villages went to the House of Representatives
of Jambi Province. Once again they received promises that a team would be
sent to the conflict area as soon as possible.
At the same time, local villagers have been trying to negotiate directly
with PT DAS. Both parties agreed to go to court to settle the dispute. The
company however --with assistance from the police-- started to intimidate
the farmers who had taken the case to court. During these intimidatory
actions some of them were even arrested under the false accussation of
stealing rubber in platation areas of PT DAS.
Several demonstrations have been programmed by Sawit Watch for September
all over the country, from Jakharta to Bali, to protest against the
expansion of oil palm plantations.
Source: Sawit Watch: Campaign Against Big Scale Oil Palm Plantations in
Indonesia, September 1998.
*************
- Vietnam: forestry model in crisis
Vietnam is currently involved in a large scale "reforestation" programme.
According to offical sources 850,000 hectares of trees were planted
nationwide between 1993 and 1995. Large areas of the country have been
covered with monoculture plantations, often for export as wood chips to
Taiwan and Japan. This scheme is not aimed at attending the needs of
farmers, villagers, or even the Vietnamese economy in the long run. The
Vietnamese paper business is currently suffering a severe crisis, since
more wood is being produced than the country's pulp processors can handle.
So far 364,000 hectares of land in the north of the country has already
been turned over to forestry by government-sponsored agencies with the
help of foreign consultants and "aid" agencies. NGOs have facilitated the
implementation of a further 327,426 hectares The aim of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development is to have a total of 1.3 million
hectares of plantations producing wood, to output 450,000 tonnes of pulp a
year by 2010.
However, that development is not being matched by an increase in pulp
processing capacity and now wood is being stockpiled by suppliers with no
apparent possibility of anyone buying it. This leaves the industry in the
absurd situation of having to import pulp for paper manufacturers, while
hundreds of cubic metres of wood are being stacked up for the day when
pulp producers are able to process them.
Despite the declarations of the paper industry, little efforts have been
made to increase manufacturing capacity. Observers say that the
authorities have not coordinated the effort to solve the problem. Bai Bang
Paper Company, for example, recently increased its production rate from
48,000 to 55,000 tonnes of finished paper per year. But the plan makers
have neglected to stimulate the production of pulp, without which the
paper cannot be produced This means that wood producers cannot sell their
crop. The biggest losers, as usual, are the farmers, that were seduced by
the promise of rapid benefits emerging from their plantation plots. To
date they are either stockpiling or selling their wood at rock-bottom
prices. They are even scared they could lose their livelihood and that is
dissuading them from planting the trees the government wants grown..
For detailed information on plantations and the pulp and paper industry in
Vietnam, please see."Reforestation in Vietnam in the context of the
globalization of the paper and pulp industry" by Chris Lang, Oxford
University, 1996 (complete text in our web page under Plantations
Campaign/Campaign Material/By Country/Vietnam)
Source: "Touch Wood: Vietnam can't produce enough paper pulp", Vietnam
Economic Times, September 1998
*************
CENTRAL AMERICA
- Nicaragua: transnational logging company files suit against NGO
Last February in the village of Rosita, on the Caribbean coast of
Nicaragua, representatives of the indigenous peoples Sumus and Miskitos,
local and regional authorities, NGOs, community and religious leaders, met
to consider the illegal activities of the Korean transnational company
Kimyung, which operated through the subsidiary SOLCARSA, responsible for
invading communal lands and destroying the forests and livelihoods of
local people. The meeting approved a declaration demanding the inmediate
suspension of the concession awarded to the company (see WRM Bulletin nr.
11). The environmental NGO Centro Humboldt, present at the event, was
entrusted with evaluating the environmental impact provoked by the
activities of SOLCARSA.
In the meantime, a new logging company named PRADA S.A. was formed,
including some former SOLCARSA share holders and Nicaraguan businessman
Blandon Moreno.
Centro Humboldt considers that operations reinitiated by this new company
in August are illegal for the following reasons:
1. That the sentence of the Supreme Court of Justice, that orders the
suspension of the SOLCARSA concession --which includes SOLCARSA's plywood
plant-- is still in force.
2. That to date the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
(MARENA) has not given a favourable Environmental Impact Document to the
plant. For this reason, SOLCARSA was fined by MARENA after completing the
construction of the plant without the corresponding Environmental Impact
Assessment.
3. That the new company lacks the approval of the Regional Autonomous
Council of the Northern Atlantic Coast, a requirement established by the
Autonomy Law for any investment in the region.
4. That PRADA S.A. has initiated operations using an environmental
permission issued by the Municipal Council of Rosita. However, such
resolution is illegal in that local authorities are not legally authorized
to grant this permission, since this is a matter for the MARENA.
In light of these considerations, Centro Humboldt asked the MARENA to
apply the law and that operations of PRADA S.A. be immediately suspended.
The company reacted by filing suit for injuries against Victor Campos,
representative of Centro Humboldt. On September 10th, when the accused
environmentalist appeared in court for the first time, representatives of
environmental and indigenous organizations demonstrated in the streets
outside the court, holding placards that read: "No to the destruction of
tropical forests, no to the violation of human rights" "In Nicaragua
150,000 hectares of forest are lost annually, by the year 2025 it will all
be lost." Passers-by signed a petition in support of the
environmentalists.
According to the Forest Network of Nicaragua, the authorities are
maintaining an administrative silence and the company has continued to
work illegally for over a month. The presentation of an appeal to the suit
against Centro Humboldt was rejected by the judge and environmentalists
say: "We do not doubt now how the power of money is working in this case.
We have also been victims of slander by the company in paid spots in the
press, and by persecution against colleagues of our organization.
The MARENA invited environmental organizations to a meeting and proposed
them to complete an environmental audit. However, many environmentalists
opposed the idea, considering that it might legitimize the illegal actions
of the Korean company. They instead demanded the closure of the company.
At the meeting, Centro Humboldt handed over a document with the signatures
of solidarity and the messages of support received from all accross the
world.
The judge's decission is expected in the next few days. In the meantime,
the situation remains still unsolved.
Source: Centro Humboldt, Nicaragua.
**************
NORTH AMERICA
- Greenpeace's virtual boat tour in Canada's rainforests
Greenpeace has launched a virtual boat tour of Canada's endangered
temperate rainforest. The site is intended to acquaint web surfers with
this remote ancient forest and the impending threats it faces from
clearcut logging. The address of the web site is
http://www.greenpeacecanada.org/gbrtour
The 52 foot sailing yacht, the 'Freedom Dancer', will act as the
cyberspace base for transmitting satellite images to the Greenpeace Canada
web site. The virtual boat tour will explore the beauty of the rainforest,
feature the people and wildlife who live there, and focus attention on the
companies currently logging this global treasure --Western Forest
Products, International Forest Products and West Fraser Timber.
Along with images, diary entries will be uploaded regularly, so web
surfers can see and read about relevant issues. Surfers can also take
action by sending an e-mail to the Premier of British Columbia, urging him
to protect what remains of this rainforest
Greenpeace websites around the world, including the Greenpeace
International website (http://www.greenpeace.org) are mirroring the
Virtual Boat tour and surfers can send messages to buyers of clearcut
rainforest products asking them to reconsider their decision.
The virtual tour will run from September 16th through to October 2nd, but
web surfers can continue to log on to the web site for ongoing updates
from the Great Bear Rainforest campaign.
Source: Patrick Anderson, Greenpeace International
*************
- USA: the death of David Chain
We have received the sad news that a person was killed while trying to
protect native forests being cut in Grizzly Creek by the timber company
Pacific Lumber.
According to an Earth First! press release, "A video taken by Earth First!
activists in Grizzly Creek captured the hostile voice of a Pacific Lumber
faller threatening their lives less than an hour before David Chain was
killed by a falling tree. The video blatantly contradicts Pacific
Lumber's claim that the company 'had no knowledge' that Chain and others
were nearby in Grizzly Creek. In fact, the logger who later cut the tree
that killed David Chain can be heard furiously shouting obscenities and
vowing to get his 'pistol.' Several other Earth First! activists were
just six feet away from Chain when the tree came crashing down."
The press release adds that, "Contrary to Pacific Lumber's public
statements, David Chain's death was the inevitable result of the timber
company's deliberate campaign of violence toward environmental activists"
and that "The escalating use of violence by Pacific Lumber has been
ignored by Humboldt County law enforcement." The press release finally
expresses that "The tragic death of David Chain under these circumstances
shows clearly that to PL, profits are more important than human life.
Earth First! activists who witnessed the tragic death of their comrade
David Chain will cooperate with a full investigation into the incident and
its causes. A memorial is planned for next week, and Earth First! will
continue to protest Pacific Lumber's illegal logging in Grizzly Creek in
David's name."
Source: Northcoast Earth First! press release, September 18, 1998.
*************
SOUTH AMERICA
- Eucalyptus and pines in the Bolivian Andes
What follows are quotes from research carried out in the Bolivian Andes by
Danish researcher Thor Hjarsen, who is one of our readers. The full text
can be found in the following web site:
http://www.aki.ku.dk/zmuc/ver/staff/thjarsen.htm
"During the last 13 years a forestry project: "Programa de Repoblamiento
Forestal" (PROFOR), has planted more than 15 million trees in the Andean
zone in Cochabamba. About 80 per cent of the trees are Eucalyptus globulus
and Pinus radiata. This important project [funded by the Swiss government]
has largely neglected to acknowledge the role of native tree species for
erosion control and preservation of ecosystems and water catchments.
Little attention has also been given to the fact, that the indigenous
communities also rely on the non-timber resources offered by the Polylepis
forests such as medicine plants, game and wild tuber plants.
Fast growing exotics should only be used when a rapid supply of firewood
and construction timber is needed and - with great care - for urgent
erosion control. Long-term ecological, hydrological and rural socio-
economical goals require instead protection and regeneration of the
endangered Polylepis forests by true reforestation, and zonation of
different land-uses.
I have identified land-use practices in the forestry sector that should be
halted immediately due to documented negative effects on the highly
threatened biodiversity of the Bolivian Andes. I will express concerns for
the negative effects on water-balance, agricultural production and socio-
economy from this forestry, which mainly relies on the establishment of
plantations with Eucalyptus spp. and Pinus spp. It was found that the
exotic plantations did not remove human pressure on native forests,
because the exotic trees were regarded as a cash crop by the peasants and
landowners. Therefore, wood for household needs was continuously collected
in the natural forests and woodlands. The major promoter of plantation
forestry in the Cochabamba area is a joint-venture forestry project:
Programa de Repoblamiento Forestal (PROFOR). This study also documents
that several exotic plantations have been established inside or very close
to the native woodlands of the conservation dependent kehuia trees
(Polylepis).
I myself worked in the Cochabamba area of Bolivia (one of the endemism
centres) trying to assess the impacts on the avifauna and natural
vegetation from (traditional) agriculture forestry in the mountain, and
from modern plantation projects mainly relying on exotics (Pinus and
Eucalyptus). My data shows that the agriculture and forestry practised by
the village communities does not pose any significant threat to the
endangered bird species or the general biodiversity, as long as native
forest vegetation is left between fields or in mosaics. The endangered
bird species seems to accept even high levels of human "disturbances". The
major factor replacing the endangered avifauna was 1) lack of natural
forests and 2) establishment of plantations.
>From the above "stories" the approach in these areas to protect
biodiversity and regenerate water resources is to: 1)Help farmers with
true reforestation and land management 2)Avoid exotics as far as
possible."
Source: Thor Hjarsen, August 1998
*************
- Brazil: "We want orchards, not eucalyptus plantations"
After a long struggle started in 1995, Brazilian NGOs and peasant
organizations, with support from representatives of the Catholic church,
succeeded in halting a megaproject of eucalyptus plantation in the state
of Amapa in northern Brazil. The plan of Champion Paper and Cellulose. and
its subsidiary Chamflora Amapa Agroflorestal Ltda to set up 100,000
hectares of eucalyptus, would have affected the lands and livelihoods of
the peasants of the region. Local people joined in the Organized Civil
Society Forum (Forum da Sociedade Civil Organizada), which, with the
support of the Pastoral Commission for Land (Comissao Pastoral da Terra)
carried out a complete study to demonstrate that the company had illegally
occupied the peasants' lands. They had to face a powerful opponent, with
much influence on the media and specialised in showing a "green image". In
spite of that, they managed to stop both the first project based on
eucalyptus and a second one, started in 1996, when Champion bought AMCEL
(Amapa Celulose), a company installed in Amapa since 1974, and whose pine
plantations occupy 93,000 hectares.
In 1998 Champion had to recognize the irregularities commited during the
purchase and occupation of lands: some 140,000 hectares had to be given
back to their legitimate owners, the peasants of Amapa. This victory is
celebrated every July 25 --Rural Workers Day-- by peasant organizations,
whose slogan is : "We want orchards, not eucalyptus plantations."
Nevertheless, globalization of the economy implies new threats for the
Brazilian people. Since the international cellulose and paper markets have
been affected by the Asian crisis and environmetal pressures to stop the
exploitation of forests in Southern Asia are increasing, projects to
produce nearly 10 million tonnes of those products were abandoned in that
region, and part of them could be transferred to Brazil.
One example is the association between two of the largest paper producers
in the world (Stora from Sweden and ENSO from Finland), with the Odebrecht
Group in Brazil, to invest 1.6 billion dollars in a cellulose plant in the
state of Bahia. Another example is the association between the US
Kimberly-Clark and the Brazilian Klabin Group, to invest in Brazil and
Argentina. Chilean paper producers are also interested in investing in
Brazil. One of them has already purchased a factory in Santa Catarina. The
Celmar project, which includes the recently privatized Rio Doce Valley
Company, involves a possible association with several international
companies to produce cellulose in the state of Maranhao. The Rio Doce
Valley is negotiating an association between giant pulp producers CENIBRA
and Bahia Sul, seeking more profitability and more competitive prices on
the international market.
Sources: Sandro Gallazzi (CPT-Amapa) and Rosa Roldan (IBASE), September
1998
*************
- Venezuela: increasing conflict with Jefferson Smurfit
Smurfit Cartons Venezuela --a subsidiary of the US-based transnational
Jefferson Smurfit-- has been operating in Venezuela's Portuguesa state
since 1986. Its extensive pulpwood plantations for the production of
paperboard have resulted in equally extensive social and environmental
problems. This situation has been analysed by the Venezuelan Senate's
Environment Commission, which has recently produced a 120-page report
documenting such impacts.
We have been informed about some of those impacts, which include human
rights violations, dispossessment of local peoples' lands, corruption,
disregard towards national legislation, substitution of riverine forests
by tree monocrops.
Jefferson Smurfit is a vertically integrated corporation, including
forestry operations, pulp production from virgin fibre and recycled paper,
cardboard, paper and packaging production. Its facilities are located in
the USA, Europe (Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Netherlands, Ireland,
Italy, Portugal and the UK) and Latin America (Argentina, Chile, Colombia,
Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela). In May 1998 it signed an agreement to
merge with another giant paper manufacturer (Stone Container Corporation)
to create one of the world's largest manufacturers of paperboard and
paper-based packaging products. The combined entity, with annual sales of
US$8 billion, will be called Smurfit-Stone Container.
In order to be able to confront this giant, our friends in Venezuela
require as much information as possible concerning Jefferson Smufit, and
in particular:
- negative impacts in other countries
- planned expansion in Latin America
- environmental or other restrictions in the USA
They are also interested in receiving information on a consulting firm
linked to Smurfit, called Monitor Company (which might have links with
Jaakko Poyry).
If any of our readers is able to facilitate information on the above,
please send it to us and we will forward it to Venezuela
Source: personal communication with Venezuela and Jefferson Smurfit's web
page (http://www.smurfit.ie)
*************
- Chile: support for the Mapuche-Pehuenche people needed
Mapuche and Pehuenche organizations of Chile are planning a visit to
Europe to contact and lobby financial and state agencies involved in the
controversial hydroelectric projects that are afecting the Bio Bio
watershed (see WRM Bulletin nr. 11). The visit has been programmed for 2
to 20 November and will cover Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Norway and
Sweden. Organizations interested in cooperating to make it possible,
please contact the Action Group for the Bio Bio ("Grupo de Accion para el
Bio Bio"):
fax:+49-89-6661-743504. email:h0847csk@rz.hu-berlin.de
Source: Dario Jana. September 1998.
*************
- International Conference organised by Taiga Rescue Network
Boreal Forests of the World IV: Integrating Cultural Values into Local and
Global Forest Protection. Tartu, Estonia 5-10 October 1998
Every two years (since its founding in 1992), Taiga Rescue Network has
organised an international conference on boreal forests. This year it will
be held in Estonia and will focus on: Integrating Cultural Values in Local
and Global Forest Protection.
At the United Nations Conference on the Environment (UNCED, 1992), the Rio
Declaration defined five values to be sustained in forests: economic,
ecological, social, cultural and spiritual. Up until now most of the
debate on forests has been set in terms of the conflict between economic
and ecological values. The conference will look more closely at how
culture is shaped by the forest and the forests are shaped by our
cultures.
Following two days of public meetings and discussion panels, including
presentations on the underlying causes of deforestation and forest
degradation from Russia, Japan and Northern Europe, NGO representatives
will meet to further discuss strategic plans and identify common projects
between boreal producer countries and consumer countries.
Everybody from the NGO sector is welcome to attend both the open days and
the NGO strategy days.
For more information and registration please contact Taime Puura,
Conference Coordinator, Estonian Green Movement, P.O. Box 318, Tartu,
EE2400, Estonia. Tel: +372 7 422 598, Fax: +372 7422 084, or E-mail: for-
est@erl.tartu.ee
More information is also available on the web at:
http://www.online.ee/~roheline/mets/conference.html
*************
- Growing concern over plantations in Australia
For many years the Australian environmental movement has chosen to "lay
off" plantations as an issue, as it was seen that in the Australian
context, they could be a useful alternative to native forest logging.
This situation has now changed with the Tasmanian Greens, for instance,
opposing the establishment of any further plantations.
This is as a result of the "Regional Forest Agreement" process, which
seeks to remove the Federal Government from forestry conflicts with the
states, by allowing for unlimited woodchip exports in exchange for a so-
called "comprehensive, adequate and representative reserve system" (CAR
reserve). Needless to say the RFAs signed to date have produced inadequate
and unscientific reserves, while chip exports are rising dramatically.
In Tasmania, massive native forest clearance and replacement by
plantations is well underway, with state government targets of 10,000
hectares per annum. Australian mining giant NORTH ltd has entered into a
joint venture with Mitsubishi to alienate 23,000 hectares over a 10 year
period. US giant Weyerhaeuser has just bought in to the state of
Victoria's recently privatised plantation estate and is looking at
investing in Tasmania.
On a government policy level, there is much to be concerned about. A
number of schemes have been established to increase native forest
clearance under the guise of plantation establishment, particularly the
so-called "Plantations Vision 2020" program, which seeks to double
plantations by 2020 --with significant Federal support.
The Federal government is now trying to use the Kyoto Protocol as another
means of supporting the timber industry by encouraging "carbon
sequestration" through plantation establishment. The federal environment
minister Robert Hill has been very vague about ensuring that no
plantations are established --and exchanged for credits-- at the expense
of native forests.
Few people are aware that Australia has a voracious and destructive forest
industry that has been granted open slather to export woodchips -
currently about 7,000,000, tonnes annually to Japan (Mitsubishi, Daishowa,
New Oji, etc.) --or about 40% of Japan's hardwood chip imports-- all from
a continent which is only 5% forested. NORTH Ltd is a very large player in
the national industry and a large owner of plantation lands (about 150,000
hectares in Tasmania). It is logging oldgrowth forest for plantation
substitution.
There is growing concern that the kind of references to "sustainable"
native forest management and plantation establishment in the
Intergovernmental Panel on Forests' documents will encourage countries
like Australia to continue their current rate of clearance and
substitution. "Native" trees could still mean that monocultures may
proliferate, given that Eucalyptus globulus is "native" to Tasmania,
though it has been genetically engineered and established beyond its
original range.
Source: Tim Cadman, Native Forest Network, Australia
WRM GENERAL ACTIVITIES
*************
- News from the International Secretariat
WRM's International Coordinator participated as part of the Global
Secretariat at meetings held in Geneva (20-25 August) of the Joint
Initiative to Address the Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest
Degradation. He was also present during part of the Intergovernmental
Forum on Forests meeting held at the same time in Geneva. The Montevideo
Declaration on Plantations and an analysis of the issue of plantations
within the context of the Proposals for Action of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Forests (see WRM Bulletin 14) were distributed at the meeting in
English and Spanish. Stuart Wilson --from Forests Monitor-- made a
presentation on "High Stakes", produced jointly by his organization and
WRM.
Invited by Both Ends, Alvaro Gonzalez of the International Secretariat of
the WRM, participated in a workshop on Cooperation Policy of The
Netherlands related to Climate Change, that took place in The Hague from 9
to 15 September. The aim of the organizers was to generate inputs for
Dutch NGOs to negotiate the position of that country for COP-4, which will
take place in Buenos Aires next November. Among other topics, the issue of
forest conservation and plantation projects in the framework of Joint
Implementation was discussed. Those interested in receiving further
information, please contact: vv@bothends.antenna.nl