JAILED ENVIRONMENTALISTS RELEASED IN CANADA AS INDUSTRY OPPOSITION TO BRITISH COLUMBIA LOGGING PRACTICES INCREASES

17 April 1998

VANCOUVER -- Four environmentalists jailed earlier this month for actions to protect Canada's last remaining ancient rainforest valleys were released from custody late yesterday. Canadian Shaila Healy, Belgians Marleen Van Poeck and Wim Van de Vyver and P atricia Fromm from Germany were set free after serving two thirds of their 21 day sentence. The four remain on probation for two years.

At the same time worldwide industry rejection of Canadian ancient rainforest products is increasing. Today in Belgium, US based Union Carbide gave a notice of cancellation of their contract with Canadian pulp exporter Western Forest Products (WFP). This is due to the Union Carbide's policy to not use ancient forest raw materials or products derived from such. Greenpeace is calling on the Swiss based chemical company Clariant, also a buyer of dissolving pulp from the British Columbia rainforests, to cancel their contract with WFP for the same product.

For three weeks Greenpeace has been blockading the front gates of the Clariant (45 per cent owned by Hoechst) plant in Frankfurt, Germany. Today 20 Greenpeace activists dug up the road and planted three 7m high maple trees in front of the plant's main gate. Activists stated Clariant was responsible for looking after these for a thousand years which is the age of trees Clariant is using for cellulose ethers for their products such as wallpaper paste, shampoos, and paints.

"We encourage Union Carbide and other companies to take such initiatives to preserve the few remaining ancient forests left in the world, 80 per cent of which have been destroyed. If Union Carbide is able to find alternatives to dissolving pulp from so urces other than ancient forests, then companies such as Clariant can do the same. " said Thomas Henningsen in Frankfurt. The Austrian company Lenzing has also withdrawn their contract with WFP due to their concerns to preserve ancient forests.

Back in Vancouver, British Columbia, Patricia Fromm commented, "Until the clearcutting of our ancient forests stops we will not back down. This unique area must be protected - it is the largest coastal forest of this kind in the world. The Canadian g overnment was the first country to sign the Biodiversity Convention - yet they have not followed their obligations to implement endangered species legislation."

Last June 18 environmentalists were arrested along with six Nuxalk first nation members for participating in a 19-day blockade of a clearcut logging operation run by International Forest Products in the Great Bear Rainforest. The Nuxalk members face trial in Vancouver on May 4.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
- Catherine Stewart in Vancouver: ++1-604-253-7701.
- Thomas Henningsen in Germany: ++49-171-3569118.
- Union Carbide: Mr Paul Beckers Manager of cellosize production at Union Carbide in Antwerp: ++32-3-2531511 or Mr Geoff Curme Busines Manager of cellosize group in Geneva: ++41-22-9896534.