Greenpeace today (2nd March) announced that it would be stepping up its campaign to protect remaining ancient forests in Finland by establishing a Forest Rescue Station in the last Sàmi reindeer forests of Arctic Lapland. This follows the Finnish government's decision to start new logging operations in important winter grazing pine forests, in defiance of urgent recommendations issued by the UN Human Rights Committee (1).
The Forest Rescue Station will act as a forward operating base from which to monitor logging operations and assist the Sàmi reindeer herding co-operatives in mapping and demarcating important areas of forest. Activists will be living in a combination of insulated modular containers and traditional Sàmi tents.
"In the face of international human rights scrutiny, the Finnish government has chosen to take the business as usual approach," said Matti Liimatainen Greenpeace forest campaigner. "As long as the government continues to log the last Sàmi reindeer forests, Greenpeace will be active in these areas until they recognise their importance and stop their destruction."
In northern Lapland, many Sàmi indigenous peoples still practice traditional reindeer herding, relying on remaining old-growth forests to provide vital food for their reindeer during the cold winter months. The Sàmi reindeer herders have been fighting alone for their livelihood and have been calling on the government to protect important areas of reindeer forests from industrial logging. The Finnish government has always prioritised other forms of land uses other than reindeer herding. The reindeer forests have been reduced piece by piece by the government's own logging company, Metsahallitus, which carries out most of the logging in Lapland.
About 70 percent of the wood logged by Metsahallitus in Sàmi areas is sold for pulp and paper production (2). The Finnish paper giant, StoraEnso buys most of the wood originating from destruction of reindeer grazing forests, which finally ends up being sold to the UK and other European consumers as magazines, copy paper, and envelopes.
"Sadly we are fast approaching the point of no return. Metsahallitus are on the verge of logging some of the last tracts of old-growth forest containing horsetail lichen, vital for winter grazing of reindeer," said Liimatainen. "What's insane is that Sàmi's reindeer herding livelihood is being pulped to make cheap magazines, copy paper, envelopes and even disposable tissue paper."
A coalition of reindeer herding co-operatives have recently sent a letter to the Minister of Forestry and Agriculture calling on the Finnish government to agree to a moratorium in the important reindeer forests that have been mapped (3). Greenpeace and other Finnish environmental groups are supporting these demands and have written to the government urging them to take immediate action.
For more information, or to organise a visit to the Forest Rescue Station: Call Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.
