Greenpeace takes the UK government to court over illegal mahogany imports

Last edited 26 February 2002 at 9:00am
Amazon Jaguar

Amazon Jaguar

We are taking the UK government to court - to stop the import of a cargo of illegally logged Brazilian mahogany, due to arrive in a British port this week.

The trade in Brazilian mahogany was banned by the Brazilian government last October, following Greenpeace exposure of corruption, in the report Partners in Mahogany Crime, and subsequent investigations by the Brazilian Environment Agency (IBAMA).

But at least two shipments are still en-route to the UK - the third largest importer of Brazilian mahogany - despite this ban. The first - 811 cubic metres of illegally-extracted mahogany exported by Semasa Ltd of Brazil - is due to arrive this week at Birkenhead docks.

The UK government has the power to seize these illegal shipments, under CITES (an international treaty to control the trade in endangered plants and animals) regulations. If they fail to act, the mahogany will find its way to builders merchants, manufacturers and retailers such as Harrods - further legitimising a corrupt and illegal trade.

So, in court on Monday, our lawyers will ask for a Judicial Review of the government's decision not to seize the illegal mahogany, which we alerted them to on January 31st. They will also request an injunction, forcing this mahogany to be seized on arrival and held pending the outcome of the case.

Our government has stated several times that it intends to end imports of illegally-logged wood. "It is counter-productive to help enforce laws abroad without striving to ensure that illegally produced timber is not consumed at home," said Environment Minister Michael Meacher. We all know that illegal timber imports are fuelling the destruction of some of the most diverse forest habitats on the planets and threatening the future of thousands of plant and animal species.

So why do we have to take the government to court, to force them to act?

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