Greenpeace protests Chile native forest destruction
Date: 12-Apr-02
Country: CHILE
The environmental protesters aimed to prevent the "Iwanuma Maru" freighter from loading 452,100 cubic feet (42,000 cubic metres) of wood chips made from prized species found in temperate, old-growth rainforests in southern Chile.
Greenpeace accused Chilean timber firms of destructive harvesting of native forests that goes unpunished by the government. The Japanese cargo ship was at a private port owned by Chilean firm Forestal San Jose, located about 620 miles (1,000 km) south of Santiago.
"It is inconceivable that the government permits our native forest to be destroyed, degraded and threatened when its biological and ecological importance has been recognized worldwide," said Greenpeace activist Cecilia Serrat.
In recent years, Chilean environmentalists have fought attempts to build timber projects in the area, which is valued for its ancient lingue, tepa, rauli and oak forests. In 2000, legal challenges by activists blocked plans by multinational Boise Cascade Corp. to install a woodchip mill there.
Greenpeace urged timber companies operating in Chile to comply with the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council, an international body that certifies and classifies lumber and sets sustainable forestry management procedures.
Local authorities defended the company, saying it had the permits required to harvest trees on its own plantation.
"The company has management plans and is authorized to cut down what it likes. The chips come from trees planted by the company and from native trees that are dead," regional governor Cristina Maeztu told Reuters.
The Greenpeace activists said they would remain chained to the ship until the company publicly promises to stop harvesting native forests.