Archived press release

Illegal Mahogany Recovery

24 June 1995

As part of its intensifying campaign against the mahogany trade, Friends of the Earth activists will today June 24th, remove mahogany products from local timber merchants around the country [1]. It is believed that most such wood has been logged and traded illegally with much of it stolen from the Amazon Indians.

The mahogany will be removed in an open and peaceful manner and will then be taken to the local police station in the hope that the authorities will retain it until it can be determined who the rightful owner really is.

Two of FOE's peaceful 'Stolen Rainforest Recovery Actions' took place yesterday in Bristol [2] and Belfast and there will be four more actions today in Oxford, North Wales, Leicester and York.

The overall aim of the action is to highlight the failings of the timber industry to cease trading in mahogany that has been illegally obtained in Brazil [3].

Activists will enter their local timber yard, collect a piece of mahogany and hand over statements to the timber yard staff and the police station simultaneously explaining why they are taking the mahogany and what they intend to do with it.

Britain is the world's second largest importer of Brazilian mahogany. Around 80% of the mahogany sold in the UK is logged in Brazil's Amazon rainforest. Much of this mahogany has been obtained and traded illegally in Brazil, with significant quantities originating from Indian reserves. Logging in Indian reserves is forbidden under the Brazilian Constitution, and can have devastating impacts on the indigenous peoples.

Sarah Tyack, Mahogany Campaigner for Friends of the Earth said:

When challenged about the illegal trade in Brazilian mahogany the timber trade hides behind the smoke-screen of flawed voluntary agreements. Despite what the timber industry says, much of the mahogany traded in the UK is sourced illegally from the Indian reserves in Brazil and therefore is still the rightful property of the Indians.

Local activists are carrying out this action across the country in an open and peaceful manner for the forest- dwelling peoples of the Amazon. It is the hope that the authorities will retain the mahogany until the rightful owner is determined'.

Friends of the Earth believes that Governments should regulate the trade in order to prevent the continued destruction of the Amazon rainforest and its inhabitants.

Sarah Tyack continued:

'Consumers of mahogany must be made aware that voluntary timber trade agreements are not a guarantee that mahogany has been traded legally. People should not buy it until the trade is under proper control'.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

[1] This peaceful and symbolic gesture is part of the Brazilian Mahogany Campaign Friends of the Earth is running in response to a plea from Brazilian NGOs to help bring this trade under control. In November 1994 Friends of the Earth activists staged a protest aboard a ship docked in Heysham, Lancashire which was importing mahogany from Belem in Brazil.

[2] In Bristol, Clark's Timber told activists that the Timber Trade Federation is aware of the problems with illegal logging and welcomed the news that steps are being taken to improve the situation. Bristol Friends of the Earth then persuaded Trinity Police Station in Bristol to take up the matter with Customs and Excise.

[3] In 1993, logging companies in Brazil and timber importing companies in the UK signed an agreement (known as the

AIMEX/NHA agreement) promising only to trade in legally obtained mahogany. However, Friends of the Earth has gathered evidence that the illegal logging has continued since then. Human rights campaigners in Brazil have had to obtain a Federal Court injunction banning logging companies from cutting legally protected Indian reserves. Some of these logging companies are major suppliers to the UK, including Maginco, Impar and Perachi.

CONTACT: Sarah Tyack 0385 236 977 (mobile)

Simon Counsell 020 7354 1014 (home) Tim Rice 0385 236 974 (mobile on June 25th)

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust