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"With today's announcement, Lula is sending a clear message that his government will not tolerate illegalities that characterise the mahogany industry operating in the Amazon", said Paulo Adario in the Amazon. "After years of scandals, Lula's government shows his will to conquer the trust of the civil society, consumers and timber producers who want to act legally while logging in this region. Lula also moves a step ahead towards the protection of the greatest rainforest in the world."
Lula also announced the destination of illegal mahogany seized by Ibama, the Brazilian Environmental agency, in the last years. Some of the14,000 cubic meters of illegal mahogany will be donated to the Brazilian NGO Fundação Viver, Produzir e Preservar (FVPP). After being sawed, the timber will be sold. Part of the income coming from this sale will create a fund to be invested on sustainable management projects that benefit local communities affected by illegal logging, including Indigenous peoples. Several indigenous populations, such as the Kayapó, felt harmed by illegal logging in their lands. The other part of the money coming from the mahogany sale will be used to strengthen IBAMA's institutional capacity, including monitoring and inspection.
The announcement of new measures to increase mahogany protection does NOT mean the end of the moratorium on the species, which forbids its exploitation. The mahogany moratorium was extended in February through a presidential decree. The same decree created a Special Commission on Mahogany in charge of, among other things, defining a new legislation to allow the retaken of mahogany exploitation based on sustainability and CITES Appendix II-friendly.
The new mahogany legislation is still being discussed by the Special Commission and should be implemented through IBAMA's decree which will detail rules, both administrative and technical, on mahogany exploitation, monitoring, inspection, transport and processing (2). The big news is that the new mahogany legislation will be valid for both internal and external market.
Greenpeace is campaigning to protect the world's remaining ancient forests by promoting ecologically sustainable and socially responsible forest use and the establishment of protected areas. Protected forest areas are dedicated to the conservation of their biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and are established and managed respecting traditional land rights – particularly those of indigenous peoples. They are protected from road building and industrial activities.
Notes to Editor
1. In November 2001, CITES state members made a historical decision and approved the listing of Big Leaf Mahogany onto Appendix II increasing the protection on the species and ensuring major transparency and control over mahogany trade. This listing requires guarantees of legal origin from exporting and importing countries and proper harvest management of the species that does not threaten its survival.
2. The Instrução Normativa (IN) 17 from IBAMA, which forbids the transport and processing of mahogany, will be in force until the new legislation on sustainable exploitation of mahogany is ready to replace this measure. The new legislation on mahogany exploitation should fits CITES Appendix II requirements.
