Informacja prasowa - 24 maja, 2017
Logging operations in the Białowieza Forest were blocked today by Greenpeace and Wild Poland activists as the next phase of the campaign aiming at protecting Europe’s last lowland natural forest was announced yesterday. 15 people blocked forest logging machines operating in the old part of the Forest. Activists displayed banners reading „Stop logging!” and “The whole of the Bialowieza forest [should be] a national park” in a reaction to the systematic logging of the most valuable natural fragments of the Forest that begun this year.
Forest Patrols of Wild Poland Foundation and Greenpeace Poland provided clear evidence that logging in the Białowieża Forest includes some of the oldest and environmentally priceless parts of the forest so far excluded from logging, among them also the UNESCO protected areas. The forest managing practices are being conducted despite the European Commission’s call to Polish government to stop breaching the EU law and suspend the logging immediately.
Robert Cyglicki, Director of Greenpeace Poland said:
"We are in the Białowieża Forest to stop its devastation caused by the scandalous decisions taken by the environment minister Jan Szyszko. Despite numerous calls from the scientific community, local community and voices of more than 167,000 people, the minister continues to treat the Forest as a mere plantation of trees. Worse yet, ministerial decisions threaten many rare species of birds that depend on old and dead trees that are massively cut and removed from the Białowieża Forest despite the birds breeding season."
Images of the protest can be seen here.
