Feature story - 17 April, 2002
Greenpeace activists today temporarily blockaded and closed the warehouses of Red Madeiras Tropicais (Red Rainforest Timber) in the Paraná state of Brazil.
Timber logged in Itaquatiara. Amazon, Brazil.
Eleven Greenpeace activists blocked the gate of one of Red´s
depots with an inflatable 6-meter chainsaw. On the wall they
painted the message: "Red: buying from the Mahogany Mafia". They
also unfurled 6x12 meter banner, which read "Illegal mahogany,
never again!"
More than 14,000 cubic metres was being stored at the warehouse,
with a market value of at least US$20 billion.
During the protest, Greepeace revealed that in the year 2001, 82
percent of the timber purchased by Red Madieras Tropacais was
bought from companies linked to the "Mahogany Mafia" ("Mafia do
Mogno" in Spanish). The company was the biggest exporter of
mahogany in 2001, with most of its customers in the US and
England.
Nilo d´Ávila of Greenpeace said, "We are here to make Red listen
to the words of President Fernando Henrique, in defense of the
protection of mahogany, a noble wood that is threatened with
extinction."
The Mahogany Mafia operates in the Brazilian state of Para,
where its activities include illegal logging of mahogany on Indian
and state-owned lands. Logging, transport and trade in mahogany
have been forbidden by Ibama, the Brazilian government's
environment agency, since October 2001. Brazilian President
Fernando Henrique Cardoso reaffirmed the ban last week.
Last year Red bought mahogany from ten logging companies, four
of which are connected to the Mahogany Mafia: Pau Brasil,
Madeireira Castelo, Jatobá, Madeireira Serra Dourada e Milenium.
These companies were fined a total of 15 times by Ibama in 2001 for
illegal exploitation and illegal transportation of mahogany. In
2001, Red was apprehended trying to export illegal mahogany by
misusing Ibama authorization documents.
You can help us put pressure on world government's to save the
planet's remaining ancient forests. Send a personal message that we
will deliever to your country's delegates at the meeting.
More information:
Partners
in Mahogany Crime (Greenpeace report)