GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS STOP WOOD-CHIP EXPORTS FROM CHILE'S LAST TEMPERATE RAINFOREST

10 April 2002

Puerto Montt/Santiago - Greenpeace activists in the port of Calbuco chained themselves to the anchor chain of the Iwanuma Maru, which is carrying wood chips from Chile's last remaining ancient forests. Other activists climbed on to the conveyor belt preventing it from carrying chips from the sawmill onto the ship, and hung a banner with the message: "Cease the Destruction of the Native Forest."

The Iwanuma Maru is carrying 42,000 cubic metres (m3) of wood chips from the company Forestal San José. This is Forestal San José's second shipment this year, after exporting 30,000m3 in February.

Chile's temperate rainforests are home to the monkey puzzle tree, which can live for more than one thousand years. These spectacular forests contain at least 50 species of trees and more than 700 species of plants, half of which do not occur elsewhere in the world. Almost all of what remains of this ancient forest is under immediate threat from logging from the wood-chip industry and clearing for plantations.

"Much of Chile's ancient forests have already been destroyed" said Cecilia Serrat, coordinator of Greenpeace Chile Forests Campaign. "It is inconceivable that the government of Chile continues to allow our last ancient forests to be destroyed and exported for mass paper production."

Today's action in Chile is one in a series of actions by Greenpeace to highlight the immediate threats facing the world's ancient forests. Only 20 percent of the original forest cover remains as large intact areas, and more than a third of these are under threat. Ancient forests contain up to two-thirds of world's terrestial species of plants and animals. Many experts believe that "biodiversity is more threatened now than at any time since the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago."(1)

During the next two weeks, governments from around the world are attending the Ancient Forest Summit in the Hague, the Netherlands, to decide the fate of forests. This is the most important political meeting on forests and the world's biodiversity in the last 10 years.

"The last great threat to the world's biodiversity was caused by an asteroid. This time extinction is in the hands of government delegates and ministers meeting in a conference centre in the Hague," said Gudrun Henne, Greenpeace forest political advisor, speaking from the Ancient Forest Summit. "This extinction is not yet inevitable if governments decide to save the world's ancient forests."

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Gina Sanchez, the Hague + 31 627 000064