RIO MARIA, Para State, Brazil--November 17, 1992--In its first
protest action against the destruction of rainforests caused by
the timber industry in the Brazilian Amazon, Greenpeace today
invaded and occupied one of the biggest mahogany sawmills in the
region.
The action, which launches Greenpeace's campaign against
predatory logging in the Amazon, is aimed at the destructive
exploitation of mahogany which is monopolised by twelve big
sawmills in the state of Para (southeastern Amazon).
"This is only the beginning," said Jose Augusto Padua,
Greenpeace's Latin American Campaigner for Tropical Forests.
"We're protesting against the predatory logging of mahogany which
not only threatens the precious and endangered species, mahogany,
but also creates the conditions for complete forest destruction.
The logging of mahogany also leads to social and cultural
dissolution of indigenous communities of the region."
Mahogany loggers presently operate with impunity in the Amazon,
making vast profits at the expense of the forest ecosystem and
those who depend on intact forests. Throughout much of the
southern Amazon, Mahogany cutters are the first to push roads
into primary forests, providing access to cattle ranchers, gold
miners and displaced peasants who then clear the forest.
"Wherever the Mahogany loggers go, deforestation quickly
follows," Padua said.
The first Greenpeace action in the Amazon forest began at sun
rise when activists, wearing white overalls, invaded the Maginco
sawmill - the biggest mahogany trading company in the country.
Maginco is owned by Mr Danilo Remor who is also the president of
the AIMEX - Association of Timber Exporters of Para and Amapa.
While the activists were blocking the main entry of the sawmill -
stopping trucks transporting mahogany logs - they unfurled a
banner denouncing the destructive impacts of mahogany
exploitation. Greenpeace activists chained themselves to the
saw-bench to stop the sawmill activities and cease the cutting
of the mahogany logs.
Greenpeace's action was supported by representatives of the
Nambikwara indians who have been trying in vain to stop Mahogany
loggers invading their territories for several years. Members of
of the rural workers' union, including the president of the
National Council of Rubber Tappers also joined the action.
Together with other groups supporting Greenpeace's action, they
placed themselves in front of the sawmill to protest the
destructive activities of the logging companies in the Amazon
region and their failure to follow environmental regulations,
especially in the south of Para - where the action took place.
The town of Rio Maria, where the sawmill is located, is the site
of a number of union leader killings in the past few years
related to the ownership of land. Cattle ranchers are pushing out
poor land-owners in order to expand their operations.
According to Greenpeace, destructive logging of mahogany and
other species in this region has been going on for a long time
without control.
"The Mahogany industry is causing the illegal invasion of
indigenous areas and ecological and extractive reserves," said
Padua. "The large sawmills at the centre of mahogany
exploitation in Para, export almost all their timber to the UK
and USA."
Last week the Brazilian NGO coalition against predatory logging
in the Amazon (now composed of 70 groups) released a video in
Brasilia (Brazil's capital) which documents the impact of
Mahogany cutting. It highlights the destruction of forest
ecosystems and the economies of rubber tappers and indigenous
communities arisingh from Mahogany logging.
The group also presented a Manifesto and a dossier about their
issue to the Brazilian Parliament (Congress), the Attorney
General, to Funai, the government agency for indigenous affairs
and the new Minister for the Environment, Mr. Coutinho Jorge who
is accused in many newspaper articles of being an ally of timber
dealers and Mahogany loggers.
In Europe Greenpeace is calling for a ban on the use of mahogany,
asking companies not to trade Mahogany, and requesting
governments to restrict imports until the industry is regulated
in Brazil in line with the demands of the Brazilian Coalition
gainst Predatory Logging in the Amazon.
For more information or a copy of the video, the Manifesto or
pictures of the action:
Kido Guerra or Jose Augusto Padua, GP BRAZIL
Phone (55 21) 262-7318 / 240-4476.
Fax (55 21) 240-1690.
Elisabeth Mealey, Greenpeace Communications in London:
Phone (44 71) 873-6006
Fax (44 71) 837-6606
Patrick Anderson Greenpeace International
Phone (31 20) 523-6555
Fax (31 20) 523-6500.
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- copy of the final
version of the Mahogany dossier is available c/o Patrick Anderson
Greenpeace International (gn.panderson), or c/o Greenpeace Brazil
(ax!padua)