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10 April 2002
Greenpeace warns Chile's ancient forests are being converted
into wood chips
 Santiago,
Chile - Today Greenpeace activists drew attention to Chilean forest
destruction, and persuaded a logging company to cease its exports
of native timber.
Chile's spectacular forests are home to the monkey puzzle tree,
which can reach one thousand years in age. At least 50 tree species
and more than 700 plant species grow there, half of them found
nowhere else in the world.
But almost all Chile's remaining ancient forest is rapidly being
converted into wood-chips, and cleared for plantations, Greenpeace
warned today.
As Greenpeace forests campaigner Cecilia Serrat said, "It
is inconceivable that the government of Chile continues to allow
our last ancient forests to be destroyed and exported for mass
paper production."
 Greenpeace
activists chained themselves to the anchor chain of the Japanese
ship Iwanuma Maru, in Calbuco port of Santiago, Chile. The ship
is carrying 42,000 cubic metres (m3) of wood-chips from the company
Forestal San José. These wood-chips are from Chile's last
remaining ancient forests.
Other activists climbed onto the conveyor belt, preventing it
from carrying chips from the sawmill onto the ship. They hung
a banner with the message: "Cease the Destruction of the
Native Forest."
After two activists were chained to the Iwanuma Maru's anchor
chain for seven hours, the timber company reacted. Greenpeace's
Serat met with Forestal San Jose general manager, Eduardo Hartwig.
Hartwig recognised the fact that his company is exporting native
timber, and committed to stop his company's exports of native
timber as of July.
You can
help stop the destruction by telling your government to stand
up for the last ancient forests at the Ancient Forest Summit next
month in the Hague.
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