NEWS FLASH
NEWS FLASH
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25
july 2000
International activists released 24-25july
2000
Crew reacts violently
to criminal timber protest 24
july 2000 Timber
criminals infiltrate the usa: activists board shipment of amazon criminal
timber to protest g8 leaders' lack of action against illegal logging 23
july 2000 G-8
adopts greenpeace demand to fight illegal logging by tackling export practices
and procurement policies. 22 july 2000 Greenpeace says this is the time now for the g-8 to save the ancien t forests 21
july 2000
Rainbow warrior raided by japanese police 20 july 2000 Greenpeace launches dawn raid on germany’s largest timber port 16th july 2000 Greenpeace ends its 65 hour vigil at the port of vilagracia de arosa 14th july 2000 Four activists arrested as greenpeace continues its protest against imports of criminal timber into spain july 2000 G-8 meeting july 21-23, okinawa, japan 13th july 2000 Greenpeace intensifies action against imports of illegal and destructive timber from african rainforests 12th july 2000 As g-8 foreign ministers talk, greenpeace continues to take action 11 july 2000 Greenpeace activists put themselves on the line to stop criminal timber imports 11 july 2000 Greenpeace highlights g-8 failure to protect the last remaining ancient forests 5 july 2000 Greenpeace activists release russian timber ship -- vow to take protest to g-8 ministers 4 july 2000 Greenpeace activists occupy russian timber ship to protest illegal log trade 3 july 2000 Greenpeace action on high seas - sea of japan timber shipment from russia bound for japan 30 june 2000 Greenpeace uncovers illegal logging in russia's far east
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GREENPEACE ENDS ITS 65 HOUR VIGIL AT THE PORT OF VILAGRACIA DE AROSA
16th July 2000 Four Greenpeace activists occupying the timber ship Ranger 1 yesterday ended their 65 hour vigil at the port of Vilagarcia de Arosa following urgent meetings with provincial port and government authorities. As a result of the meetings in Pontevedra this morning, the region's central government representative, Alejandro Millán, agreed to sieze the cargo of tropical African logs and sawnwood which is currently being unloaded from the Ranger 1. The wood - much of which comes from the threatened rainforests of Cameroon - will be retained in the harbour while investigations by both the customs service and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) authority are conducted. Millán is also supporting Greenpeace's demand for a high-level meeting with Spain's Central Government, to discuss the country's role in importing wood and wood products derived from destructive and illegal logging in Africa and the rest of the world's ancient forests. Millán said that he shared Greenpeace's concerns about illegal logging in Africa. "Greenpeace has the moral authority to demand changes in the market to stop the destruction of ancient forest in Africa" said Millán. "Greenpeace welcomes the concrete steps that the government authorities are taking here, and we expect to confirm the date for a high level meeting in Madrid tomorrow," said Greenpeace Forest Campaigner Miguel Angel Soto. "We are delighted that the logs and sawn timber from the Lebanese logging company Societe Forestiere Hazim (SFH) will not be going anywhere in a hurry - and we will do everything we can to make sure it stays that way," he added. Greenpeace revealed earlier this week, that the logs and timber from SFH and its sawmill SFHS (Societe Forestiere Hazim Scierie) come from a company which has been found to be logging illegally in Cameroon's rainforests as recently as June 30. Despite fines for illegal logging in December 1999, the company was found to be logging 'anarchically' outside its legal boundaries during a Government inspection of the area only two weeks ago. "In just two years this company has almost completely trashed an area of tropical rainforest it was obliged to manage over a fifteen year period," said Soto. "This company has a history of repeated violation of forestry law, and was still found to be logging illegally in both its own, and other concessions at the end of last month." An inspection of the ship's manifest on the Ranger 1 yesterday afternoon, revealed that the vessel was a significant tonnage of logs and sawn timber from SFH which was destined for unloading in Vilagarcia. Greenpeace has warned that it will do everything in its power to stop the logs and lumber from SFH leaving the port. "We are urging customers who are buying wood from SFH to contact us to discuss alternatives" said Soto. "We will make every effort to track down any other companies purchasing this company's wood and we will expose them in the same way as we have exposed this shipment of timber."
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