Traditional forest dwellers blocked the Jaracu river to protest against forest destruction.
Greenpeace today joined close to 600 traditional Amazon
rainforest communities in blocking the Jaraucu River to protest
against forest destruction and demand the creation of an Extractive
Reserve (1). Protesters unfurled a 17-meter banner, which read:
"Stop destruction". Boats closed off the 100-meter wide Jaraucu
River-the main channel for the transport of illegal timber in the
region.
Porto de Moz, where the peaceful protest is taking place, is a
small town at the mouth of the Xingu and Amazon Rivers, in the
north of the Middle Land, Para. It is the home of about 125
communities with 15 thousand inhabitants living in rural and forest
areas. The communities aim to create the Verde Para Sempre (Forever
Green) Extractive Reserve (2), which would help stop forest
destruction and promote the sustainable use of natural resources in
the region. The proposed area has 1.3 million hectares, equivalent
to almost half of Belgium.
Greenpeace, Pastoral Land Commission and other organisations (3)
joined the protest to support the communities' fight to protect the
land frequently invaded by loggers. The protest comes three months
short of the anniversary of the death of Chico Mendes, a well know
Brazilian activist who died trying to protect the forest from
destruction. Protesters were inspired by Mendes' model of protests
known as empates or physical blockades of forest areas. The empates
were widely used in the 1980's and today's blockade at Porto de Moz
is the first for nearly twenty years.
The Porto de Moz region is known for land squatting and
illegalities involving log companies. Farmers and loggers easily
invade forest areas, open illegal roads and threaten the
traditional local people, who depend on the forests for their
survival. Industrial exploitation on a large scale started in 1990
with the depletion of wood stocks from traditional production
centres in the East of Para after years of intensive and predatory
logging. Today, many forest areas have been exhaustively exploited
and, in many cases, converted into pastures. The Brazilian Amazon
has lost 15% of its forest cover in the last 30 years.
"Loggers and farmers are invading our traditional land and
destroying our forest and the future of our kids. They need to get
out and return the forest to the real owners, the people of Verde
Para Sempre," said Claudio Wilson Barbosa, one of the community
leaders.
The proposal of creating the Verde Para Sempre Reserve started
in 1999, in Porto de Moz, when a Working Group was formed to
discuss sustainable development and use of natural resources in the
region. Local loggers, farmers and politicians are fighting against
the model because of economic and political interests. They allege
that Extractive Reserves do not allow their vision of economic
development for the region. Some of them use violence to stop the
process. However, it is the Brazilian Government's responsibility
to create the Reserve to protect the people and the environment of
this region.
"We are here to support the communities' fight to protect their
land from the invasion by loggers", said Marcelo Marquesini,
Greenpeace Amazon Campaigner. "Greenpeace believes that Extractive
Reserves are one of the ways to ensure the sustainable use of
forests resources and that the traditional communities are the
first ones interested in protecting their forest land and
environment, on which they depend to survive. The Brazilian
Government now holds the responsibility to create the Verde Para
Sempre Extractive Reserve, which would stop forest destruction in
Porto de Moz."
During the protest, Greenpeace launched a map of the disputed
area in Porto de Moz . The map, a result of more than five years of
research, shows illegal logging, land squatting and forest areas
controlled by logging companies. National and international
corporations such as Curuatinga, DLH Nordisk, Eidai, Marajó Island
Business, Madenorte, Porbrás and Rancho da Cabocla are directly or
indirectly involved with operations in Porto de Moz region.
Greenpeace and the traditional communities call on these companies
to return the forest back to the people of Porto de Moz. Greenpeace
also calls on the customers of these companies to stop buying
timber from the region until the reserve is created.
VVPR info: Photographs are available from the Picture Desk, Daniel Beltra: +31 20 5249 580 Video is available from the Video Desk, Caroline Lindsay-Noble: +44 79 74 17 68 78
Notes: 1. Extractive Reserves are protected areas designated for the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources by the people who traditionally live in the area. This model was developed in the ´80s by forest dwellers under the leadership of Chico Mendes and the National Council of Rubber Tappers (CNS) and adopted by the Brazilian Federal Government in 1990. These reserves guarantee local families the collective right to land and its natural resources, allowing them to keep on living from their traditional economic activities, while preserving the environment. The murder of Chico Mendes by farmers in December 1988 made him worldwide known as a martyr of the environment. In 1990, the Federal Government issued the Extractive Reserves General Decree (Decree number 98.897/90) establishing the legal basis for the creation of such unites. In March 1990, the Brazilian Government created the “Extractive Reserve Chico Mendes”, with 970,570 ha in the state of Acre. 2. Other organisations include: Rural Workers Union and MDTX (Movement for the Trans-Amazon Highway and Xingu Development), which is represented by 113 entities of the Baixo Xingu and Trans-Amazon Highway region. The Catholic and Methodist churches also support the movement. 3. The "Committee of Sustainable Development of Natural Resources from Porto de Moz" is represented by four executive organisations: Rural Workers Union, Association of Traditional Fishers, Association of Rural-City Women and Fishers Colony of Porto de Moz. Four community associations also participate and the Catholic Church supports the movement. The Committee and the most well organised rural communities aims to create the “Verde para Sempre” Extractive Reserve (Resex), which would stop forest destruction and promote the sustainable use of natural resources in the region.