Major UK Co. Cancels Rainforest Contract

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

26 Mar 98 -- MAJOR UK COMPANY CANCELS RAINFOREST CONTRACT IN
RESPONSE TO GREENPEACE ACTION 
While Greenpeace activists continue to occupy a shipment of
ancient Canadian rainforest timber and pulp in Greenock harbour,
near Glasgow, as part of
an international campaign to save the world's ancient forests,
a major UK company has cancelled a rainforest contract.

Magnet stores, in a statement issued at 5.00pm today, announced
that it is joining an increasing list of international
companies which are no longer willing to purchase products from
companies, like Doman, intent on logging in Canada's Great Bear
Rainforest. It stated: "We placed our last order with our agents
for hemlock from Doman in December 1997 and do not intend to
place any further orders from today."

Magnet's decision was warmly welcomed by the 4 Greenpeace
activists occupying the ship as they prepare to endure
their first night secured within the mechanism of the vessel's
crane. Al, one of the activists, said: "This is a test of
endurance. It is becoming very cold and the winds are high. But
we've got supplies and are determined to stay. I've spent a lot
of time in Canada's rainforests and have seen the impact that
clearcut logging has on them. It's got to stop now before the
rainforests and the bears disappear."

The activists, all trained climbers, scaled the ship's front
loading crane in gale force winds, to prevent it from unloading
at 10.00am today (26th March 1998). They unfurled a giant 17
metre long banner reading 'Don't Buy Canada's Great Bear
Rainforest Destruction'. 

In addition, logos of British companies were displayed, listing
both the companies which have stopped buying timber and pulp
from companies destroying Canada's Great Bear Rainforest and
those which are continuing to purchase timber, despite
alternatives being available.

Today's non violent direct action comes just days after
one of the Canadian logging companies (Doman/Western Forest
Products) started blasting a logging road into the Great
Bear Rainforest, ignoring Magnet's requests not to do so
in February1998. (1) Of the 353 original valleys on the
west-coast of Canada, only 69 remain intact. The majority of
these are slated to be clearcut logged in the next 10
years. The rate of logging and the rarity of this forest
type make the Canadian rainforests among the most threatened
ancient forests in the world. Globally, 80 per cent of
ancient forests have already been destroyed and industrial
logging is the greatest threat to what remains.

Consequently Greenpeace's goal is to shift industrial logging
from ancient to secondary forests.

The UK is the first European port of call for the 'Saga Wind'.
Britain is Europe's biggest importer of timber and one of the
largest importers of pulp from British Columbia. It, therefore,
has a critical role to play in saving Canada's Great Bear
Rainforest. 

The activists are refusing to move until the ship agrees to
return to Canada with its shipment or companies stop buying
ancient rainforest products from suppliers intent on logging the
pristine valleys of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Greenpeace is also calling for an immediate moratorium on all
road construction and logging in pristine areas of the Great
Bear Rainforest.

Notes to correspondents: 

1)   In February 1998, Magnet wrote to its suppliers in British
Columbia to seek written assurance that they were not extending
their forestry activities into "the pristine valleys of the
Great Bear Rainforest".

Greenpeace has been campaigning to encourage international
companies not to buy from companies threatening to destroy the
pristine areas of the Great Bear Rainforest. In response to this
campaign many major companies, including B & Q, Sainsbury's
Homebase, Do It All and BBC Worldwide Publishing and now Magnet,
have agreed to cancel their contracts. Jewsons and Harcros are,
however, still sitting on the fence.

On April 1st, 18 environmental activists, including Greenpeace
members, go on trial in British Columbia for disrupting logging
activities in the Great Bear Rainforest last year. All face
possible imprisonment. At the beginning of May, Nuxalk First
Nations chiefs are also on trial for the same action.

The following household products are made from ancient
rainforest timber and pulp: paint, cosmetics, magazine paper,
DIY materials such as doors, garden furniture, staircases,
verandas and garden trellis.