An investigation into illegal logging in the Amazon
A Greenpeace investigaion into illegal and destructive logging in the Amazon Rainforest- April 2000
With the depletion of South East Asian and Central African forests, the Amazon rainforest is now being targeted by transnational corporations as a key source of tropical forest producers. Huge, majestic trees like the Samauma, known as the 'Queen of the Forest' are being exploited to make cheap plywood for the construction industry in the USA, Japan and Europe, including the UK.
The Brazilian Government has estimated that 80% of all logs cut in the Brazilian Amazon are extracted illegaly. To highlight the extent of illegal and destructive logging in the remote regions of Amazonas and Para States, Greenpeace this year has been using the ship the MV Amazon Guardian to track down illegal loggers as well as tracking from the air and on land. Greenpeace has been promoting sustainable solutions in these regions such as rubber tapping.
The Greenpeace investigation has uncovered evidence of European based timber companies trading with an illicit track record.
The Greenpeace investigation has continued throughout this year. In
May, Greenpeace stopped an illegal log raft in the Jurua River in
Amazonas and handed it over to IBAMA. The raft was carrying logs of the
increasingly rare Samauma species. Greenpeace has also uncovered
newly constructed illegal logging roads in the frontier areas of pristine
rainforest areas in Para State and illegal logging activities on indigenous
lands for the mahogany trade. Further investigations are being planned
for the Amazon.
