Earth Culture
September 20, 1996
Contacts: Rick Spencer, EarthCulture
Tim Keating, Rainforest Relief
BRAZIL HALTS AMAZON MAHOGANY LOGGING;
ACTIVISTS LOOK TO WOODWORKERS FOR support
The Brazilian Congress has recently placed a two year moratorium on new
concessions for mahogany logging in natural stands - a monumental step
towards preserving the species, the Amazon rainforest, and its
indigenous peoples.
RAINFOREST RELIEF AND EARTHCULTURE, TWO GROUPS WORKING TO
REDUCE THE LOSS OF RAINFORESTS, ARE ASKING THE NATIONS WOOD-
WORKERS TO SUPPORT BRAZIL'S ACTION BY CEASING TO USE MAHOGANY
UNLESS IT IS FROM A SOURCE THAT CARRIES INDEPENDENT CERTIFICATION.
Bigleaf, or Latin American Mahogany is in danger of becoming commercially
extinct according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
THE MORATORIUM BY BRAZIL FOLLOWS RECENT ACTIONS ON THE PART OF
IBAMA, THE BRAZILIAN FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY, SEIZING
SHIPMENTS OF MAHOGANY THAT HAD BEEN CUT ILLEGALLY. THE GOVERN-
MENT HAS TAKEN FURTHER ACTIONS BY REDUCING THE MOVEMENT OF
MAHOGANY ACROSS STATE LINES, AND BY REVOKING EXISTING CONCESSIONS,
ACCORDING TO REPORTS.
ThE ANNOUNCED MORATORIUM permits MAHOGANY plantationS,
but industry leaders admit THAT PLANTATIONS IN THE SPECIES NATURAL RANGE
DON'T WORK, DUE TO AN INSECT KNOWN AS THE SHOOT BORER, WHICH
ATTACKS PURE STANDS OF MAHOGANY.
ALMOST ALL EASILY ACCESSIBLE AREAS
CONTAINING NATURAL stands of LATIN AMERICAN MAHOGANY have been
depleted. BUT Pirate loggers TYPICALLY invade PARKS AND wildlife Preserves AND
INDIGENOUS RESERVES, OFTEN BRUTALIZING
AND sometimes killing INDIGENOUS PEOPLE who stand in their way.
At least eight tribes in the Amazon have had
MEMBERS murdered at the hands of mahogany loggers. At present, about
85% of all mahogany imports are illegal, ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY FRIENDS
OF THE EARTH AMAZONIA.
ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY THE UNITED NATIONS FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
ORGANIZATION, UP TO 70% OF THE LOSS OF TROPICAL FORESTS DUE TO
CLEARING FOR AGRICULTURE IS PRECIPITATED BY LOGGING AND MINING
ROADS. IN BRAZIL, THOSE ROADS ARE USUALLY PUSHED INTO PRIMARY
FORESTS BY LOGGERS SEEKING MAHOGANY TREES, WHICH CAN BRING
UP TO $3,000 EACH.
BRAZIL IS THE SOURCE OF ABOUT 60% OF BIGLEAF MAHOGANY EXPORTS.
OTHER COUNTRIES INCLUDE BOLIVIA, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT, PERU,
GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, NICARAGUA AND COSTA RICA.
COSTA RICA RECENTLY AWARDED MAHOGANY LOGGING CONCESSIONS
ON LAND TRADITIONALLY OCCUPIED BY THE MAYA, WITHOUT THEIR
KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT.
A EUROPEAN CAMPAIGN TO REDUCE THE DEMAND FOR MAHOGANY
HAS DRASTICALLY REDUCED MAHOGANY IMPORTS INTO THE EUROPEAN
UNION IN RECENT YEARS.
EarthCulture, Rainforest Relief AND OTHERS ARE STEPPING UP EFFORTS TO
ACCOMPLISH THE SAME IN THE US.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE HOPEFUL ABOUT THE RECENT MOVE BY the
Brazilian government TO LIMIT LEGAL MAHOGANY LOGGING. HOWEVER
THE GREATEST PROBLEM REMAINS ILLEGAL LOGGING CREWS AND LACK
OF ENFORCEMENT.
In AN EFFORT TO ASSIST THE BRAZILIAN
GOVERNMENT IN ITS EFFORTS TO CONTROL MAHOGANY LOGGING, AND
TO ASSIST INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OVERRUN BY ILLEGAL AND UNETHICAL
LOGGING,
EarthCulture and Rainforest Relief are calling on all woodworkers to
immediately stop using mahogany.
"We'd like to see woodworkers and furniture companies SUSPENDING
their use of rainforest woods UNLESS THEY ARE FROM INDEPENDENTLY
CERTIFIED SOURCES,S SAYS TIM KEATING OF RAINFOREST RELIEF.
"IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MAHOGANY IS UNAVAILABLE. IT'S
UP TO THE USERS TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT TO GET AHEAD OF THE
CURVE, OR CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DECIMATING THIS SPECIES
AND THE RAINFORESTS. ANYONE USING MAHOGANY HAS THE BLOOD OF
THE AMAZON ON THEIR HANDS."
Rick Spencer, of EarthCulture agrees, "If woodworkers join our mahogany
boycott, we will be one big step closer to saving the Amazon rainforest."
MAHOGANY IS NOT THE ONLY OVERHARVESTED rainforest wood. Others of
concern include teak, rosewood, ramin and lauan.
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