Bulletin Issue 7 – December 1997

The Forest Owners' Association recently released a report from results of a survey during the first nine months of last year on "crime and violence" in the so-called South African forests (in reality large industrial eucalyptus and pine tree plantations) in the Kwazulu Natal area. The survey covered 54% of total afforestation in the country -over 800.000 hectares. According to a company's forest manager, plantations "were increasingly becoming safe heavens for people who lived in violence-torn rural townships, which mostly neighboured the plantations."

Between 1974 and 1990 the Swedish International Development Agengy (SIDA) invested over U$S 1 billion in a project for a pulp and paper mill in Vietnam, as a way of showing the opposition of former Prime Minister Olof Palme and his government to the United States policies towards that nation. After a feasibility study performed by the Finnish forestry consultant group Jaakko Poyry in 1974, SIDA hired the Swedish company WB Systems AB to build Bai Bang pulp and paper mill in Vinh Phu province, northern Vietnam. Five years later, due to increasing problems in the process of construction, a consortium of Scandinavian companies -Scanmanagement, 60% owned by Jaakko Poyry- took over the task. The first stage was completed in late 1980 and in 1982 the second phase started.

It seems that problems for the Dayak people in Central Kalimatan do not cease. While they are still suffering the consequences of this year’s enormous forest fires, the mega-project launched by President Suharto at the beginning of 1996 to convert around 1.5 million hectares of peat swamp forests into rice-fields keeps on going, in spite of the local and international protests, and of the recommendations made two months ago by the EIA carried out in the area.

Deforestation and widespread burning of the vast Amazon rainforest are on the rise and air quality in the region is suffering. According to satellite data, burnings in the region -whose consequences are similar to those that affected Southeast Asia- are up 28% since last year; combined with logging, about 5,800 square miles of land are deforested each year. Deforestation figures for 1994 -the most recent officially available- show a 34 percent increase since 1991. Another 4,200 square miles are thinned out due to logging alone.

Resolution nr 007 of INEFAN -the Ecuadorian Forestry Agency- shows that, surprising as it may seam, it is in the way to permitting mining activities in forests that are part of the State National Forest Heritage. According to the Forestry Law, mining is not included among the authorized activities to be developed within Protective Forests.

The Venezuelan Guayana Corporation (CVG) and Venezuela's Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) are shown to have given questionable authorizations to 12 ghost companies to mine within the Imataca Rainforest Reserve. At the same time, the Ministry of the Environment and Renewable Resources (MARNR) is claimed to have topped the irregularities by handing out permits to gold mining companies that didn't even bother to back up their bids for lots showing studies on the impact of mining activities on the eco-system. All these and more revelations are emerging from the House of Representatives' Energy and Mines Committee. It is clear that there is complete and utter disorder in the mining sector and that the MEN and the CVG have shown a patent disregard for legalities.

Corporacion Mapuche, based in Temuco, Chile, invites you to visit their web page, the first one produced in Mapuche territory. It contains articles, photographs and general information on this indigenous nation. Our Mapuche friends invite you to send your comments and suggestions,

Papua New Guinea is located in the eastern part of the island of New Guinea and borders with Indonesia. The opening of the economy to foreign penetration has promoted the exploitation of natural resources at a level that has seriously damaged the environment.

The federal government has handed over the regulation of forests to the state of Tasmania in the country's first state-wide Regional Forests Agreement (RFA). Export woodchip quotas have been abolished in a package giving an unprecedented legally binding guarantee against federal interference in a state's forests. North Limited, the biggest woodchip exporter has already announced plans to raise production from Tasmanian native forests, that currently reaches around 3,4 million tonnes annually.

In WRM Bulletin nr. 3 (8/8/97) we informed about the struggle of Friends of Hamakua, in conjunction with local farmers and community organizations, to stop eucalyptus plantations planned by Prudential Insurance Co.and Oji/Paper Marubeni in the Big Island of Hawaii. The organization also presented an alternative land use plan for the area. A final decision by the regional authorities was expected. We are very happy to inform that Friends of Hamakua has sent us a postcard containing the following text: “On November 14 the full moon, amidst the howling public. The Hawaii DLNR voted down the pulp proposal! Thank you so much for your help in creating this rare and unusual turn of events. Hamakua residents extend to you our warmest aloha”.

By way of this document we want to bring to the attention of the Minister of Justice, Iris Resende, the documents no. 08620.1352/97-74 and no. 08620.1353/97-10, which refer to the unification of the indigenous lands Caieiras Velhas and Pau Brasil, and the extension of the indigenous land Comboios. The extension in total of our lands will be more than 13,579 hectares.

The Ist Indigenous Assembly of the Tupinikim and Guarani took place in December 8th at the Community Center of Coquerial in Aracruz.

About 300 Iban of Rumah Bangga longhouse, about 100 kilometres from the town of Miri, put up a blockade to protect their Native Customary Land after two companies, Segarakam Sdn Bhd, and Prana Sdn Bhd. -which are contractors to Empresa (M) Sdn Bhd.- trespassed on and cleared their land, which resulted in extensive damages to their property. Without notice or consultation with the Iban, the land and Survey Department -a Sarawak State government department- had issued a provisional lease to Empresa (M) Sdn Bhd, an oil palm plantation company.

Sarawak NGO people have asked us to thank all those who sent faxes in support of the Iban people imprisoned last June. They stressed the importance of those messages in achieving the release of those imprisoned. A new call for action is now requested (see above article on Sarawak) and we hope to count once again on your cooperation.

Invited by the Thai NGOs PER and TERRA, Ricardo Carrere went to Thailand last November. The trip included visits to the Northeastern provinces of Thailand, where Eucalyptus plantations have generated strong social and environmental impacts and an equally strong resistance movement against them. Ricardo was able to learn from the local experiences and to have a first hand view of the impacts of both plantations and the Phoenix Paper pulp mill. In contrast, villagers also showed Ricardo their experiences in community forest management, aimed at securing local people's livelihoods. A report on the trip will be forthcoming.

"Join Us in a Shrimp Break, Putting the Brake on Industrial Shrimp" is the motto of a campaign launched by ISA-Net (Industrial Shrimp Action Network) to join this newly created international network in support of environmental and community groups in developing countries fighting against the spread of destructive industrial shrimp farming (see WRM Bulletin Nr. 6, 12/11/97). Even if the group recognizes that wild- shrimp trawling is among the world's most wasteful fisheries, it is at present focused in denouncing the severe social and economic problems posed by the expansion of industrial shrimp farming in the last 15 years, particularly for coastal communities in Asia and Latin America.

“Mangrove Ecosystem Studies in Latin America and Africa” is a publication edited by B. Kjerfve, L/D. de Lacerda and El Hadji Salif Diop and published this year by UNESCO, ISME (International Society for Mangroves Ecosystems) and the Forest Service of the USDA. It includes several scientific case studies -most of them in English- in these two regions. Individuals and organizations involved in the issue can request a free copy to: - For North, Central and South America: Forest Service - USDA International Institute for Tropical Forestry PO Box 25000, Rio Piedras PR 00928-6302, USA - For Africa: UNESCO Office Dakar 12 av. Roume, BP 3311 Dakar, Senegal

As a response to our fax dated 31/10/97 requesting information on the arrest of Nnimmo Bassey, the International Secretariat of the WRM received on 15/12/97 the following answer from the Embassy of Nigeria in Buenos Aires, Argentina: “Arrest and detention of Mr. Nnimmo Bassey I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your faxed letter dated 31st october 1997 on the above mentioned subject matter and to request you to please check your facts properly as we are not aware of the arrest and detention of Mr. Bassey as stated in your letter under reference. In the meantime your letter under reference has been transmitted to appropriate authorities in Nigeria for information. B.A. Nurudeen for: CDA”

Alvaro Gonzalez participated in a Seminar on Rural Development organized by the German foundation DSE, from 24/11 to 5/12. The Seminar included a journey to Mindo -a small town to the West of Quito- where the Project Mindo-Mandillo Protective Forest was evaluated. This Project is being implemented by a local NGO -”Amigos de la Naturaleza” (Friends of Nature)- with support from WWF. Their aim is to protect a 19000 hectares of natural forest -90% of which still primary- from logging for coal production and clearing for cattle raising. In spite of the efforts carried out by this enthusiastic group of young people, its merely conservationist approach seems to be a major obstacle for the success of the project.