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NEW ZEALANDERS HELP FUEL INDONESIAN FOREST FIRES - BUYING TROPICAL RAINFOREST TIMBER CONTRIBUTES TO THE DISASTER.
Auckland, New Zealand - 28 October 1997
Greenpeace is urging New Zealanders to boycott Indonesian forestry products to help prevent a repeat of the disastrous forest fires over the last 2 months.
Recent government statistics reveal that New Zealanders imported NZ$43 million worth of forestry products from Indonesia in the year to June 1997, as well as NZ$19 million from Malaysia. This is a nine-fold increase in imports over the last six years from Indonesia, in particular in furniture and finished products, and paper.
More than 600,000 hectares of forest on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra have gone up in smoke causing havoc in the South-east Asian region. In recognition of the contribution of logging and plantation development to the fires, the Indonesia government has revoked many logging licences or stopped companies clearing land for plantations.
"By buying kwila hardwood furniture and decking from Indonesia and Malaysia, Kiwis are contributors to this forest disaster," said Greenpeace Forest Campaigner Grant Rosoman.
"Logging primary rainforest for timbers like kwila and meranti is very destructive but when fire and plantation establishment come behind, it is nothing short of an ecological catastrophe."
"New Zealanders could help save forests in the Asia-Pacific by buying `ecotimber' from ecologically sustainable projects in Solomon Is. Wood from eco-certified sources or New Zealand grown plantation hardwoods are also options." Said Grant Rosoman
Recent rain and a wind change have helped reduce the smoke cloud hanging over the region, but many of the fires burn on, particularly in peat and lignite areas. Both Indonesia and Malaysia have declared the fires national disasters. The fires have threatened the homes of many endangered species such as orang-utans and clouded leopards, have released enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, created a health hazard for millions of people, and directly contributed to a shipping and plane accident with more than 250 lives lost.
"This is a major rain check for the Asian forestry industry. They have plundered the rainforests for decades for hardwood timber. It is of huge concern that our forestry imports from Indonesia have risen 900% in the last 6 years," said Grant Rosoman
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Grant Rosoman, Greenpeace forests campaigner, tel: 9-372 5655
Stephanie Mills, Greenpeace campaign director, tel: 9-6306317 or 025-790817