Geneva - Greenpeace activists occupied the yard of lumber import company Bernard Bourquin SA this morning. The more than 20 activists are asking the Geneva importer demand that the Canadian logging company, Interfor, observe a logging moratorium on all critical rainforest areas in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest until an agreement between the logging giant and Greenpeace is reached.

Observing the International Day of Forests, Greenpeace met with representatives from Bernard Bourquin SA to ask them to stop buying ancient forest destruction. The Geneva company imports wood from, among others, regions where ancient forests are being destroyed in an irresponsible way. Bernard Bourquin SA is the single largest customer of Interfor in Switzerland. This peaceful protest is but one more in a series of protests against Interfor and its customers globally and is part of Greenpeace's efforts to protect the world's last remaining ancient forests.

Among environmentalists, Interfor has the reputation as being one of the worst rainforest destroyers in the temperate climate zone. Recently Interfor accepted a moratorium in some of the contentious forest areas, but not in Clayoquot Sound, an area that that contains a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Greenpeace therefor calls on Bernard Bourquin to contact Interfor and ask for a moratorium in key areas where they are currently logging, including the Clayoquot Sound, and to solve the problem at the negotiation table.

Bernard Bourquin annually imports several hundred cubic meters of wood from Interfor (Douglas fir, Hemlock and Western Red Cedar). Bourquin also imports tropical wood such as Acajou, Abachi, Doussié, Iroko, Koto, Limba, Sipo and Wenge, all from Africa. Based on this deplorable situation some big forest companies and manufacturers in the USA, UK and Japan have already taken responsibility and stopped purchasing wood from Interfor.

"Greenpeace Switzerland calls on Swiss wood importers, mainly Bernard Bourquin, as well as the wood processing industry, to stop using Interfor wood," said Christoph Wiedmer, Greenpeace Switzerland forest campaigner. "With this protest we hope that Bernard Bourquin is now aware of the deplorable conduct by Interfor and expect for them to speak with Interfor as soon as possible."

For more information about International Forest Products and their role in ancient temperate rainforest destruction, download:
INTERFOR: CERTIFIED DESTRUCTION - A Greenpeace briefing on Interfor's operations in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest.

Recent clearcut from Surf Inlet, into a pristine area on the northeast of Princess Royal Island in the Great Bear Rainforest. The island is home to the rare spirit bear, a white bear found nowhere else on earth. © Greenpeace 2001 For more recent clearcut images, visit the BC photo library.

For more information about Greenpeace's ancient forests campaign, email: guestforest@ams.greenpeace.org