World Rainforest Movement Bulletin #6
11/12/97
*******************************
RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Headline: World Rainforest Movement Bulletin #6
Source: World Rainforest Movement
Date: 11/12/97
*WORLD RAINFOREST MOVEMENT
MOVIMIENTO MUNDIAL POR LOS BOSQUES
International Secretariat Oxford Office
Instituto del Tercer Mundo 1c Fosseway Business Centre
Jackson Stratford Road
Montevide 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
*
=================================
W R M B U L L E T I N # 6
12.11.97
=================================
* PRESENTATION
Dear friends,
This is the sixth issue of the World Rainforest Movement's
Bulletin. The World Rainforest Movement is a global
network of citizens'groups of North and South involved in
efforts to defend the world's rainforests against the forces that
destroy them. It works to secure the lands and livelihoods of
forest peoples and supports their efforts to defend the forests
from commercial logging, dams, mining, plantations, shrimp
farms, colonisation and settlement and other projects that
threaten them. We hope that this Bulletin may become a tool
for enhancing communication and information among all
those people concerned with this issue and willing to
contribute to stop and reverse this destructive processes. Your
comments, suggestions and contributions are welcome
through: rcarrere@chasque.apc.org, alvarog@chasque.apc.org or
fax (598 2) 41 92 22. From October 26 telephone numbers in
Montevideo have changed. Our new numbers are: (fax) 598 2
401 92 22 and (phone) 598 2 409 61 92.
Warm regards
Ricardo Carrere
International Coordinator
**WRM Bulletin # 6
In this issue:
* WRM GENERAL ACTIVITIES
* News from the International Secretariat
.-Tupinikim/Guarani: a reply from Aracruz
.- Support to local struggles
* WRM Campaigns
-Assembly of the Tupinikim and Guarani
* LOCAL STRUGGLES AND NEWS
INTERNATIONAL
.-Global Group Formed to Counter Destructive Industrial
Shrimp Farming
.-FSC suspends SGS Forestrys certification activities
AFRICA
.-Nigeria: Nnimmo Bassey imprisoned and released
ASIA
.-Indonesia: UPM-Kymmene and APRIL destroy rainforest
.-Mangroves under threat in India
CENTRAL AMERICA
.-Costa Rica: against mining activities
NORTH AMERICA
.-USA: RANs campaign on old growth forest products
SOUTH AMERICA
.-Brazil: violence against ecologists continues
.-Brazil: new development projects threaten the Amazon
.-Ecuador: indigenous women against oil exploration
.-Venezuela: victory at the Court
.-Suriname: controversy about forest policy
OCEANIA
.-Hawaii: Resisting pulpwood plantations
EUROPE
.-Demonstration in Germany
**WRM GENERAL ACTIVITIES
**- News from the International Secretariat
-Tupinikim/Guarani: a reply from Aracruz
We received a reply from Aracruzs Environment and
Corporate Quality manager Carlos Alberto Roxo to our letter
of 6 October in support of the Tupinikim/Guaranis right to
their lands. Mr Roxo is "pleased to have the opportunity of
explaining the companys position in relation to this matter,
which has been deeply misinterpreted by some segments".
The letter includes an interesting heading in its annex, which
we think contains useful information about the companys
economic interests in this issue. The headings title is "The
importance of the lands under dispute to Aracruz" and says:
"In addition to having the legal right to the lands, Aracruz
considers them as very important for the following reasons:
- Aracruzs pulp mill is expanding its production capacity by
20 per cent this year. Since Aracruz uses planted Eucalyptus
only (no native wood is used in the process), all the planted
trees will be necessary to supply the mill.
- The lands under dispute account for 22 per cent of the
companys land in the area of the mill. Since these lands are
the closest to the mill, they also provide the cheapest wood
(as transportation costs represent a high proportion of the
wood costs), which is a key factor for maintaining the
companys international competitiveness.
- Aracruz has already invested considerable resources in the
development of these lands, through the establishment of
plantations of high quality and productivity."
**- Support to local struggles
The International Secretariat sent messages to public
authorities in Brazil and Ecuador responding to the request of
support by local NGOs. Faxes were addressed to the
president of Brazil, the Government of Santa Catarina
(Brazil) and the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, expressing our
concern over the situation of Wigold Scaeffer and Miriam
Prochnow -two distinguished leaders in the campaign to
protect the Mata Atlantica from logging activities- who have
repeatedly received death threats. We also sent messages to
the Government of Ecuador and the Government of Imbabura
Province to protest against the prosecution of Polibio Perez
and Luis Torres, leaders of the community of Junin, at
Imbabura Province, who are opposing a mining project of the
Japanese firm Bishimetals, that would have devastating
effects at the local level.
**WRM CAMPAIGNS
**-Assembly of the Tupinikim and Guarani
On November 4 the period of 60 days ended during which
FUNAI had to make a restudy, according to a letter of the
Minister of Justice dated August 4. Concerning the decision
of the Minister, there are three possible options:
- to declare the boundaries of the claimed lands and establish
its demarcation. In this case Aracruz will go to court,
according to declarations of representatives of the company;
- to declare the boundaries, but proposing a reduction of the
area
- to take no decision.
Based on the two audiences which indigenous peoples
representatives had at the Ministry of Justice, the Tupinikim
and Guarani know that the minister has little willingness to
decide in favour of the indigenous claim for an additional
13,579 hectares. Aracruz is interfering strongly at the level of
FUNAI and the Ministry of Justice with this aim. During the
month of September the indigenous peoples suffered a strong
direct pressure from FUNAI and Aracruz Celulose, as was
informed in WRM Bulletin Nr. 5 (16.10.97).
For these reasons the affected communities are organizing an
assembly in order to decide on how to continue the struggle.
The First Indigenous Assembly Tupinikim and Guarani is to
take place on December 8. The assembly will also be
attended by allies -among them the WRM- and
representatives of indigenous organisations of other parts of
the country, as well as authorities such as the Minister of
Justice, the President of FUNAI and the State Governor.
Source: Leonardo da Silva Goncalves and Antonio Carlos
Pinto dos Santos, Preparatory Commission of the Assembly.
Sent by CIMI-Leste
**LOCAL STRUGGLES AND NEWS
**
INTERNATIONAL
-Global Group Formed to Counter Destructive Industrial
Shrimp Farming
Wetland forests and coastal areas are being recognized as
ecosystems of great ecological, economic and social values.
Despite the fact that the debate for their protection has been
increasing over the last few years, the pressure for the
development of unsustainable projects affecting these
ecosystems continues to cause severe damages. The
conversion of large tracts of mangrove forests, lagoons,
marshlands and other coastal and inland ecosystems to
intensive shrimp farms has been fuelled by an increasing
demand for shrimps in northern countries, especially Japan,
USA and Europe. Although local communities and
environmental groups in the affected countries have been
highlighting the destructive and fast-expanding nature of the
shrimp industry, the vast majority of consumers in the North
are totally unaware of the impact that their rising demand for
shrimps is having on local communities and coastal and
inland ecosystems in producing countries.
Representatives of major environmental and community
organizations from 14 nations agreed last week to create an
umbrella group to oppose the continued expansion worldwide
of destructive industrial shrimp farming. The new group
-formed on World Food Day, October 16th- is called the
Industrial Shrimp Action Network (ISA Net). ISA Net is
composed of NGOs, community organisations and concerned
scientists from Southern and Northern countries. Its main
aims are to support local communities and launch a public
awareness campaign in consumer countries. As a conclusion
of the Forum the following statement was adopted:
"We are a global network of organizations and individuals,
representing community, environmental, and scientific
concerns. We are opposed to the expansion of destructive
industrial shrimp farming with such consequences as
impoverishment and displacement of local communities,
degradation of mangrove forests and other coastal and inland
ecosystems, loss of agricultural land, pollution, and the loss
of cultural and biological diversity.
We have joined together:
to recognize, support, and empower communities threatened
by shrimp farming to enable them to control the use and
management of coastal resources to meet their food,
livelihood, cultural, and other basic needs;
to educate consumers about the social, economic, and
environmental costs of shrimp production so that they can
make informed decisions about purchasing and eating
shrimp;
to resist destructive industrial shrimp production practices
and policies and encourage the adoption of ecologically
responsible and socially equitable alternatives by industry,
local communities, national governments, and international
institutions;
and to identify and encourage better coastal resource
management and support the restoration of ecosystems
degraded by industrial shrimp farming."
Source: Maurizio Ferrari. Forest Peoples Programme.
6/11/1997.
**-FSC suspends SGS Forestrys certification activities
The Forest Stewardship Council has suspended the forest
certification activities of SGS Forestry, an FSC-accredited
pioneer of independent forestry assessments. The suspension
may indicate a rift at FSC Board level. The decision was
taken despite an earlier finding by the Councils executive
director Dr Tim Synnott that SGS had "identified and
addressed" weaknesses in the West African Leroy-Gabon
forestry operation.
The suspension will remain in place until the completion of
"corrective actions" to ensure that SGS procedures comply
fully with the FSCs principles and criteria. The FSC will
appoint an agent to monitor the situation. The move follows
complaints from environmental activists about the Leroy-
Gabon certification. FSC had suspended the companys
certificate for six months in June, after discovering that the
entire management team had been replaced. The certificate
was then due to be revoked in December.
At the time, FSCs board expressed concern over SGSs
stakeholder consultation procedure and implementation of
regional-specific field standards in full compliance with FSC
principles and criteria. It has also asked all FSC-accredited
certifiers for a six months moratorium on certification of
timber harvesting operations in primary forests.
SGS disagreed with the decission but will not appeal against
the suspension. Simon Counsel, director of the Rainforest
Foundation, stressed the "need for much more rigorous
assessments by the FSC and a more strict application of its
principles and criteria by the certifier." He added that the
problems should have been identified much earlier, when
SGS was itself being accredited.
Source: Rettet den Regenwald e.V. 30/10/97 from Timber
Trade Journal, 24 October 1997 by Oliver Tickell
**AFRICA
-Nigeria: Nnimmo Bassey imprisoned and released
Nnimmo Bassey, President of Oilwatch Africa, was detained
on Sunday 26 October, when returning to Nigeria from the
meeting of the International Committee of Oilwatch in
Ecuador.
An architect, poet and active defender of human and
environmental rights in this country, Nnimmo has been
carrying on a persistent denounce of the abuses of oil
companies in Nigeria. Although he has been politically active
in Nigeria for years, it is only since becoming a high-profile,
vocal critic of the oil industry that he has been imprisoned. In
June-July 1996 he was imprisoned during 43 days for
attempting to attend a West African regional meeting of
Friends of the Earth.
Responding to an urgent call of the Oilwatch Network
Secretariat, the International Secretariat of the WRM
addressed a message to all WRM members and friends,
asking to express their solidarity with Nnimmo. At the same
time a fax was sent to the Nigerian Ambassador in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, expressing our concern for Nnimmos arrest
and asking to be informed about his situation. We later
received news that Nnimmo had been released. What follows
is the letter where Nnimmo expresses his gratitude to all who
supported him in those difficult moments:
Dear friends,
I write to thank you all for the solidarity shown over my
present brush with the weilders of state power here. I was
arrested on arrival at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in
Lagos at about 9 pm on Sunday 26th October. I was detained
in the airport for the night and transferred to the Head Office
of the SSS in Lagos the next morning. All through Monday I
was subjected to rigorous interrogations. I spent Monday
night in their cell. No talk of convenience in the cell! I
regained partial freedom at about 8 pm on Tuesday night, I
was allowed out of their center, but with all my luggage held
hostage. That included my eye glasses, wedding ring, wrist
watch and wallet. I was further interrogated on Wednesday
and Thursday. Centred on my involvement in the struggle for
a better environment in Nigeria. Centred also on my activism
in the Oilwatch network.
I was finally released yesterday [Friday 31st October] at about
12 noon. My luggage was returned to me but my Passport is
still being held. This means that my movement is severely
restricted. Means my attending the FoEI AGM in Uruguay is
quite unlikely.
Where is the liberty? Where my freedom? Our freedom?? I
was only able to reunite with my family at about 5 pm
yesterday; and this was when I was able to have a change of
clothes since I left Quito!!
I have to keep reporting to the SSS and that in itself is
dangerous!
That's the price to pay for fighting for an environment
suitable for mankind.
That's it for now. Please do not push this matter to the back
burners. Keep on the pressure.
Nnimmo
**ASIA
-Indonesia: UPM-Kymmene and APRIL destroy rainforest
UPM-Kymmene of Finland and Singapore-based Asia Pacific
Resources International Holdings Ltd.(APRIL), have agreed
to establish a strategic alliance to develop jointly their
respective fine paper operations in Europe and Asia. In
Europe, UPM-Kymmene will hold 70% and APRIL 30% of a
new company called UPM-Kymmene Fine Paper, which will
comprise UPM-Kymmene's fine paper units, Nordland Papier
in Germany and Kymi in Finland. This new company will be
the largest fine paper producer in Europe with a combined
annual capacity of 1.7 million tonnes of paper and 460,000
tonnes of related pulp. Similarly, in Asia, APRIL will hold
70% and UPM-Kymmene 30% of a new company, APRIL
Fine Paper, which will comprise APRIL's paper mills under
construction in Sumatra, Indonesia and China. These mills
are expected to come into production in 1997 and 1998.
Even if APRIL states that it is not involved in logging in
rainforests, the fact is that the material basis of the new
alliance is the nearby Riau Pulp pulpmill, whose production
is almost completely based on rainforest wood. The mill,
which started operations in 1994, produced last year about
600,000 tonnes of short-fibre pulp from natural forests. Until
now the company has only planted 7,000 hectares of acacia,
which are not only totally insufficient to feed the giant mill,
but additionally will only be ready for logging by the year
2002. It is expected that the mill will run on rainforest wood,
which will be needed at a rate of over 3 million m3/year. This
will mean clearcuts of at least 25,000 hectares of rainforest
each year and a total of 200,000 hectares.
APRIL has also a bad reputation in the social area. Land
acquisitions by the company have caused serious conflicts
with local communities and working conditions in its pulp
and paper mills are poor.
Source: Friends of the Earth-Finland Forest Group. Press
release 15.9.97. For further information, please contact:
Marko Ulvila +358 3 212 0097; ulvila@iki.fi
**-Mangroves under threat in India
Extensive mangrove areas at Pazhayangadi, Kannur District
in Kerala, are under threat of logging. Local groups and
activists have been taking legal steps like getting a stay order
from the court and writing to various Government bodies on
such destructive practises.
These are the only remaining mangrove areas of the state,
both in terms of species diversity and spatial extent. Large
flocks of migratory birds seek there refuge from the northern
winter. For centuries local communities have practiced
traditional methods of saline resistent-paddy cultivation
alternate with shrimp filtration. Kerala is one of the first
states of India to initiate decentralised planning at local level
(popularly known as "People's Planning"), which has been
considered a step in the right direction. However, paradoxical
it may seem, presently elected local bodies seem to turn a
deaf ear to the peoples claim.
Source: D.Nandakumar, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Geography,
University College, Kerala, India
**CENTRAL AMERICA
-Costa Rica: against mining activities
About 30 transnational corporations are in the process of
developing projects for gold exploration and exploitation in
Costa Rica. Included in this list of mining companies are the
Canadian Placer Dome Inc. and American Barrick Gold,
listed among the six largest gold mining corporations in the
world.
Such activities will affect protected areas of enormous
ecological and cultural value as well as their influential areas
and buffer zones. The area that has been solicited or granted
as concession for open pit gold mining activity comes to
approximately 408,000 hectares, which is equivalent to 8% of
the Costa Rican national territory!
The bi-national basin of the San Juan River -a natural border
between Costa Rica and Nicaragua and the most extensive
watershed found in Central America- is one of the most
threatened areas, since 250,000 hectares of it have been asked
in concession for exploration. The ecological and cultural
richness of this region has stimulated the creation of a
network of protected areas on both sides of the border, called
the International System of Protected Areas for Peace
(SIAPAZ). This area shelters the main remnant of tropical
rain forest on the Caribbean side of Central America and is
home to unique species, some of which are in danger of
extinction, as the manatee, the green macaw and the
mountain almond.
Other regions of the country are under threat as well. There
exists the possibility that a series of open pit mines will be
operated along the Tilaran Mountain Range, in an area of
130,000 hectares of the Northern Pacific Region, which
shelters various protected areas, such as the Biological
Reserves of Monteverde and Alberto Brenes, and the Arenal
National Park. The cultural and natural heritage of the
Talamanca Mountain Range, declared Reserve of the
Biosphere and Heritage of Humankind by UNESCO in 1982,
is also menaced. This region is the territory of the Bribri and
Cabecar indigenous peoples, who have organized themselves
in order to defend their livelihoods.
The National Front Against Open Pit Gold Mining (Frente) in
Costa Rica -a newly created coalition made up of
environmental, human rights, campesino, indigenous, student,
religious, communities and women's organizations- is
monitoring this process and taking actions to defend the
menaced territories.
Source: National Front Against Open Pit Gold Mining
(Frente). September 1997.
**NORTH AMERICA
-USA: RANs campaign on old growth forest products
The Rainforest Action Network is embarked on a new
campaign to drive old growth wood products out of the
marketplace. The term "old growth" refers to products
derived by logging any primary forests worldwide.
The campaign started during World Rainforest Week '97
(October 18-26) with demonstrations and other activities
taking place in every state in the United States and in other
countries. Its goal is to project the vision that the planet's
remaining primary forests -that in fact occupy a very limited
area- must no longer be viewed as resource extraction zones.
For RAN this campaign is also a vehicle to address the urgent
need for wood consumption measures to be implemented
broadly throughout society. Already some significant
companies such as 3M and Kinko's have begun the process of
phasing out old growth from their products and operations.
The Home Depot will feature prominently in the campaign.
As the largest retailer selling old growth wood in the world,
the public and wood professionals follow their actions very
closely. The Home Depot has a long history of broken
promises on tropical timber and other wood issues but
continue to profess their commitment to environmental
issues.
It is expected that the old growth campaign collaborates to
demonstrate clear public disgust at the logging of old growth
forests and the consequent need for certifiers to tread very
carefully on the issue of primary forest certification.
Source. Rainforest Action Network. October 1997.
**SOUTH AMERICA
-Brazil: violence against ecologists continues
Fulgencio Manuel da Silva, Brazilian union leader, and leader
of dam-affected peoples' movement died in Recife on
October 23 after having been shot the night before in Santa
Maria da Boa Vista. Fulgencio had received death threats
from drug traffickers in the region, for he had waged a
crusade in favour of the farmers of the Sao Francisco River
valley, and for the cease of the violence at the "caatinga", the
impoverished Northeastern region of the country. He helped
to construct a unique social movement -the Union Pole of the
Lower and Middle Sao Francisco- which defied and
continues to defy local powerbrokers, drug traffickers, the
Brazilian government and the World Bank. His murder has
caused great pain and concern among social and
environmental organizations of Brazil and Latin America.
But this is not the only case. As stated, above the
International Secretariat sent messages to Brazilian
authorities to express our concern over the situation of the
social leaders Wigold Scaeffer and Miriam Prochnow, who
have been menaced to death for their defense of the Mata
Atlantica Rainforests. Menaces has been going on since last
year and have increased lately to the point that it has made it
impossible for them to carry on with their lives and normal
activities.
Source: Beto Borges. Rainforest Action Network.
**-Brazil: New development projects threaten the Amazon
In 1997, the Brazilian government defined its new policy
strategy, in coordination with the recently launched "Brazil in
Action" plan, regarding investments in infrastructure and new
settlement and agricultural frontier in the Amazon region.
The initiatives contained in the plan are designed to stimulate
the expansion of the Mercosur (Southern Common Market,
formed by Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and to
improve conditions for increased exports to the northern
hemisphere.
Although the context for analysis of the impacts of the
current plan differs from that of the 1970's, the available
evidence so far suggests that this new wave of investments
has the potential to create environmental and social problems
similar to those arisen from development in the region more
than two decades ago. The implementation of certain
projects, for example the paving of the BR 174 highway, are
not even complying with legal requirements, such as
environmental impact assessments. In general, the planned
budget earmarked for social and environmental work is
insufficient given the magnitude of investments in
infrastructure. It is feared that the investments planned in the
"Brazil in Action" plan will lead to intensify the use of
natural resources, promoting two major causes of
deforestation, as cattle raising and logging. The lack of an
appropriate and consistent forestry policy has allowed, as
observed in 1997, an increase in illegal forestry activities.
Despite this failure of the public administration responsible
for enforcement, NGO proposals for developing alternatives
and improving monitoring continue to be largely dismissed.
IBAMA's attitude has been characterised by contradictory
initiatives, delay in implementing new and old regulations,
disrespect for local populations and inefficiency in enforcing
forest legislation.
From the socioeconomic point of view perspectives are not
promising either, since it is expected that the "Brazil in
Action" plan will promote more land concentration and
deepen the conflicts between the economic interests of a
minority and the conservation of the environment.
Source: FOEI Amazonia Program. 24/10/97
**-Ecuador: indigenous women against oil exploration
The Steering Committe of Oilwatch was meeting in Quito on
October 21st, when it received news that a group of
indigenous women from the province of Pastaza -who had
walked to Ecuadors capital to demonstrate against oil
exploration in their territory by the state-owned Tripetrol
corporation- was being repressed by the police. The steering
committee immediately suspended its session and went to
express its support to the protesting women.
On arriving at the entrance of the building of Tripetrols
headquarters they found that it was bloqued by a double
human chain: one composed of policemen and the other by a
small though powerfull- group of indigenous women
carrying their babies in their arms. The womens demand was
simple: to hold a meeting with the corporations director. The
demand was denied and the police was called in to repress the
demonstrators.
A month before, almost a hundred indigenous people mostly
women and children- had begun a march from Pastaza to
Quito to denounce the acts of repression that are being borne
upon local communities and indigenous peoples who resist
the advance of the oil industry. In this case, Tripetrol began
arbitrarily oil exploration activities and carried out legal
actions and threats against local community leaders. The
women expressed their demand of "respect for their right to
decide about their future" and that "no oil explorations is
carried out in their territories". The answer was the usual one:
repression. The police even called in immigration officers to
check the foreigners papers and detained two of Oilwatchs
steering committee members who didnt carry their passports
with them. They were released soon after.
Source: Ricardo Carrere
**-Venezuela: victory at the Court
In previous issues of our Bulletin (Nr. 2 of 10/7/97 and Nr. 4
of 8/9/97) we included information about the conflict at
Imataca Rainforest Reserve, where concerned Venezuelan
NGOs and citizens have been playing an important role.
On November 11 Cecilia Sosa Gomez -President of the Court
of Justice- informed that Presidential Decree 1,850 was
voided, as a consequence of the legal action initiated by
Alexander Luxardo (Union of Sociologists and
Anthropologists of Venezuela), Alicia Garcia and Maria
Eugenia Bustamante (AMIGRANSA), Jose Moya (FORJA),
Frank Bracho (OilWatch) and Juan Sans Uranga. The
controversial Decree opens up this vast tropical forest to
mineral exploitation.
The previous week, the Ministry of Energy & Mines (MEM)
had decided to suspend the handing out of more concessions
in the Imataca Rainforest Reserve until the Supreme Court of
Justice had ruled on a plea to void controversial Presidential
Decree 1,850. As a matter of fact there remains plenty of
doubt about the actual number of rights and concessions that
have been awarded. The latest MEM figure is 257 contracts
and 126 concessions granted by the current administration.
Nevertheless, other government entities have other figures,
which is another symptom of the state of anarchy and
corruption which has prevailed throughout the granting
process.
Source: AMIGRANSA (Sociedad de Amigos en Defensa de
la Gran Sabana). 11/11/97.
**-Suriname: controversy about forest policy
On October 7 Suriname's Minister of Natural Resources and
the Dutch Embassy to Suriname signed a contract worth
US$30 million for the Forestry Production Control Project,
intended to monitor logging activities by using mobile
inspection units. This is one component of a larger project
that will support reconstruction of the Forest Service's
infrastructure that was destroyed in the Civil War (1986-92)
and the establishment of a Timber Institute to control logging
and promote investment in the Forestry Sector.
According to the government, protected areas would be
increased from 5% of Suriname's total area to 10%, using
funds of the GEF. Both control over logging and increased
protection of biodiversity were said to be part of Suriname's
quest for sustainable development and larger responsibility to
the world. What seems contradictory is that the government
also stated that this operations are essential since Suriname
intends to intensify logging activities in the near future.
What the Ministry did not say is that logging concessions
have already been granted and operations have already begun
therein. For instance Berjaya Bhd., a notorious Malaysian
logging company, was granted an exploratory concession in
August of this year. Berjaya has been working illegally in
Suriname for the past year and a half through a front company
called Suriname American Wood Industries. Even if the
companys management plan requires official approval, roads
have already been built inside its concession and reports have
even stated that timber is being cut. This concession is
directly adjacent to the Bronsberg Nature Reserve. Reports
(unverified) have also been made that Berjaya is cutting
inside the Nature Reserve.
At least two other large concessions have also been granted.
One of them is on the South-east point of the Van
Blomenstein reservoir, but to whom it has been granted
remains inknown. The other is that given to a joint
Surinamese-Chinese company, operating under the name of
NV Tacoba. Such concession covers a large area beginning
near the Bronsberg Nature Reserve and South to within 3
kilometres of the Maroon community of Pokigron.
Last but not least: Indonesian company Barito Pacific Timber
Group -the largest plywood producer of the country, which
enjoys close ties to the Indonesian government- was recently
in Suriname to investigate the possibility of investing in oil
palm production. Barito is needing to secure additional log
supplies to maintain its plywood production operations at
optimal levels.
Given the controversy and intense international pressure
inspired by Suriname's plan to hand out 3-5 million hectares
of rainforest to Berjaya, MUSA and Suri-Atlantic in 1995, it
is understandable that the government is being very cautious
about granting logging concessions. Increasing protected
areas, provided Indigenous and Maroon rights are recognized
and respected, and increasing the capacity of the Forest
Service appear to be positive measures. Serious questions
must be raised however about the sincerity of the
Governments forest policy.
Source: Forest Peoples Programme. 1/11/97.
**OCEANIA
-Hawaii: Resisting pulpwood plantations
Pulpwood plantations being proposed for the Big Island
(Hawaii) are a long way from being real forests, full of a
variety of different kinds of mixed ages trees, rich with
vegetation and wildlife. Tourists who come to Hawaii for its
natural tropical beauty will see instead industrial enclaves of
mile after mile of one type of tree, planted in straight, easily
harvested rows, kept clear of undergrowth. Fast growing
eucalyptus are repeatedly aerial sprayed with poisons, and
clear-cut every five to seven years, with the field debris
burned. Left behind is barren land susceptible to soil erosion
and runoff.
Pulptree plantations have noting to do with sustainable
forestry, despite a recent propaganda smokescreen by State
officials. The leasing of thousands of acres to Oji Paper Co. -
Japan's largest paper supplier- will neither improve the
environment nor create many jobs. Wherever these industrial
plantations have been established they have created major
environmental, health, economic, and social problems. The
pulptree deal with Oji Paper Co. primarily benefit large
multinational corporations and a few locally-connected
businessmen and politicians. Hamakua Timber's parent
organization is Prudential Insurance Co., which has already
successfully developed ex-sugar cane land for commercial
purposes on the region. Giant Oji Paper Co. is part of the
Mitsui Keiretus industrial group, with strong business
connections to the Dai-Ichi and Mitsubishi trading
companies.
It is feared that the thousands of acres of monocrops proposed
for Hamakua and Kohala will significantly damage existing
ecological systems. A grove of eucalyptus trees growing near
Kalopa Park on Hawaii Island can be a token of what vast
areas in the future are to become: a barren soil with no
undergrowth.
On already depleted soils such as those of old sugar cane
lands of Hamakua and Kohala, the number of crop rotations
before the soil is completely exhausted can be as few as two
or three cycles. This brings up the possibility that these lands
will be used for only 7 to 20 years and then abandoned for
agricultural purposes, because the soil's fertility is exhausted
and uneconomical to farm. What then? After the harvesting
the landscape will have an unappealing clear-cut look. What
about the efforts to promote eco-tourism on Big Island?
Local communities already know how the companies work.
Over 1,500 signatures were collected by Friends of Hamakua
(FOH) last March and April, pleading with Prudential
Insurance - Hamakua Timber to stop their spraying and
burning. Hamakua residents gravely worry that Oji Paper Co.
will dump even more dangerous toxic insecticides,
fungicides, and pesticides into their community if granted
leases to more nearby State and county lands. Their fears are
confirmed by independent studies.
Source: Pulptree Plantations Are Not Sustainable Forests:
Facts About Eucalyptus Estates That Mayor Yamashiro and
DLNR Officials Don't Tell You". Ira Rohter Department of
Political Science. University of Hawaii - Manoa. 13/10/97.
**EUROPE
-Demonstration in Germany
At the inauguration of the international boat exhibition
"Hanseboot" in Hamburg on October 25, activists from
various ecologist NGOs inflated a 50 feet long, 17 feet high
chainsaw, claiming "Mahogany is Murder!" and "No Teak on
my deck!".
In their statement "Hanseboot kills forests" over 30
organisations from Germany, England, Switzerland and
Cameroon called on importers, builders and consumers to
stop the plundering of the rainforests and to use only tropical
timber which has been independently certified.
This action was a response to the German Boat and
Shipbuilders Association (DBSV), which two days before
had launched a press release in which the role of the timber
trade in the destruction of forests was completely denied. In a
meeting with environmentalists, the DBSV recently
announced their decision to join the WWF Group 98 to
promote the use of certified timber. "However, this includes
no commitment to stop the use of Burma-Teak, Mahogany
and other old growth timber", says Susanne Breitkopf,
Campaigns Director of the Hamburger group Rettet den
Regenwald. On the same line Laszlo Maraz, from pro
Regenwald, Munich, declared that "the worlds forests are
declining at an alarming rate, and this will not be stopped by
good-will declarations of the private sector". The discussion
about good forest management and certification has been
going on in Germany for almost ten years -enough time for
industry to change policies.
Source: Rettet den Regenwald e.V. 27/10/97