Greenpeace Activists Block Timber Shipment from Amazonian Illegal Loggers

Caen, France ? A cargo ship loaded with timber sourced from companies with links to illegal logging operations in the Amazon was blocked in France today by Greenpeace activists.
France, 17th March 2008 - A cargo ship loaded with timber sourced from companies with links to illegal logging operations in the Amazon was blocked in France today by Greenpeace activists.

As the 16,000 tonne cargo ship, the Galina III, entered the port of Caen, five activists from the UK, Germany, Italy and Chile boarded the vessel and attempted to stop the unloading of its cargo. Greenpeace is urging the owner of the shipment to reject timber from illegal loggers until they can prove that the timber comes from legal sources.

The action exposes European role in fuelling the destruction of the Amazon rainforest by buying timber illegally logged in the region.

Greenpeace Amazon campaigner, Marcelo Marquesini said: Illegal logging is fuelling the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and this in turn is driving global climate change, harming biodiversity and communities.

What is worse is that the EU is complicit in this destruction being the world leading importer of Brazilian Amazonian timber. Because the EU doesn’t verify that timber comes from legal sources, the door is left wide open for rogue companies to flood the EU market with illegal timber.?

The action came on the back of a new Greenpeace report, the Future for Forests? uncovering the illegal timber trade from the Amazon into Europe. It is estimated that between 63% and 80% of timber from the Amazon is illegally logged. As well as destroying large areas of tropical forest, illegal logging encourages land grabbing by farmers and speculators, and fuels corruption and violence.

Speaking onboard the Artic Sunrise, Greenpeace International Amazon campaigner, Daniela Montalto said: If the EU is really serious about halting deforestation and preventing the worst effects of climate change, it needs to use its economic clout and introduce tough new laws so that all timber products placed on its market are from legal sources and well managed forests.?

Tropical deforestation is responsible for about one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the emissions of the world entire transport sector. Last month, the Brazilian government admitted that the rate of deforestation is speeding up rather than slowing down. Deforestation is the main source of Brazil  greenhouse gas emissions, making it the most important contributing factor to the country position as the world fourth-largest climate polluter.