[Onthebarricades] Conservation protests - whaling; Woodlark Island; Papuan wood

[Andy]

*  JAPAN:  Sea Shepherd keep whalers on the hop
*  UK/JAPAN:  Protest at embassy
*  AUSTRALIA/HOLLAND/JAPAN:  Japanese upset by embassy protests
*  JAPAN:  Activists injured by whalers' gunshots
*  JAPAN:  Activists kidnapped by whalers, handed over to customs after long 
delay
*  PAPUA NEW GUINEA:  Activists, scientists stop biofuels project on remote 
island
*  AUSTRALIA:  Activists target retail giant over import of West Papuan wood

Publicly Archived at Global Resistance: 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance

http://news.smh.com.au/protest-ship-keeps-whalers-on-the-hop/20080223-1u82.html


Protest ship keeps whalers on the hop
February 23, 2008 - 9:35PM
Anti-whaling protest ship the Steve Irwin has the Japanese whaling fleet on 
the run again in the Southern Ocean.
The Sea Shepherd's ship located the Japanese fleet about 6am (AEDT) on 
Saturday after returning to the Southern Ocean from Melbourne, where it made 
repairs and stocked up on fuel and supplies.
The Steve Irwin's presence in the icy southern waters has effectively 
stopped whaling for the day, its captain Paul Watson said
"The great Southern Ocean whaling ship chase is on again," he said.
"I don't think any whales are going to be dying today. Our goal is to keep 
the harpoons quiet for the next three weeks."
The Steve Irwin found the Fukuyoshi Maru No. 68 at 6am (AEDT), which tried 
to lead it away from the whaling fleet.
Capt Watson said they continued on course finding other fleet vessels 
including the Nisshin Maru.
The first Japanese vessel, which Capt Watson believes carries armed Japanese 
coast guard officers, then turned and began chasing the Steven Irwin.
"It is believed that the Fukuyoshi Maru No 68 carries armed Japanese coast 
guard officers," a Sea Shepherd spokesman said.
"The Steve Irwin is now pursuing the Nisshin Maru and two harpoon vessels 
with the Fukuyoshi Maru No. 68 in pursuit of the Steve Irwin."
Australian Protester Jeff Hansen, from Fremantle, said: "Seeing the Japanese 
whalers running like cowards from the Steve Irwin is a very satisfying 
experience."
"I can't think of a place I would rather be right now," Mr Hansen said.
Before the Steve Irwin had found the Japanese whalers, the protest ship 
chased another ship, a Namibian Toothfish vessel, the Antalles Reefer.
"The vessel refused to give a fishing permit number and threatened the Steve 
Irwin by reporting that it was armed," a Sea Shepherd spokesman said.
The spokesman said the Antalles Reefer captain claimed to only speak 
Russian.
"The Steve Irwin has a Russian speaking crew member and during the 
conversation the captain said he would resist with force if there was any 
interference with his operations," the spokesman said.
"Captain Paul Watson relayed the information to the Australian Customs 
vessel Oceanic Viking and reported that a suspicious toothfish fishing 
vessel was operating inside the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone."
The 32 crew members on board the Steve Irwin include 15 Australians and 
volunteers from New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Sweden, South 
Africa, the Netherlands, Britain and Spain.
The great Japanese whaling chase is happening about 80 miles north of the 
Shackleton Glacier, well inside Australian Antarctic Territorial waters.
An Australian Federal Court ordered in January that Japanese whaling be 
restrained in Australian territorial waters.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23335670-663,00.html

Japan fumes over London embassy protest
Article from: Agence France-Presse
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>From correspondents in Tokyo
March 07, 2008 03:25pm
Anti-whaling protester storms Japanese embassy
Japan's foreign minister says situation is intolerable
Embassy security dramatically boosted
JAPAN today voiced outrage and said it was boosting security around its 
embassy in London after an anti-whaling protester trespassed and chained 
himself to the balcony.
The activist climbed to the third floor and strapped himself to the balcony 
where he lowered the Japanese flag to half-mast and unfurled a banner 
saying, "Stop Your Illegal Whaling,'' before being arrested.
"This is intolerable. And if this was an organised crime then it is all the 
more intolerable,'' Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told reporters in 
Tokyo.
The protester was a Briton who is part of US-based environmentalist group 
Sea Shepherd.
The foreign ministry said it was unclear how he was able to climb onto the 
embassy building, which is in an open area overlooking Green Park.
"Upon hearing about the incident, the Japanese embassy in Britain has 
requested that local police bolster security and is increasing the number of 
security guards,'' a foreign ministry statement said.
It said that another activist, who also identified herself as a Sea Shepherd 
member, entered the embassy grounds and shouted against whaling before 
leaving voluntarily after 15 minutes.
Japan says that whaling is part of its culture and accuses Western nations 
of insensitivity.
It kills up to 1,000 whales a year using a loophole in a 1986 global 
moratorium that allows "lethal research'' on the giant mammals, with the 
meat ending up in supermarkets.
Only Norway and Iceland defy the moratorium outright.
Sea Shepherd, which considers whaling barbaric, has constantly harassed the 
Japanese ships on their annual hunt in Antarctica. The group Monday hurled 
stink bombs at the mother ship, slightly injuring three, according to Japan.
Japan also voiced anger about that incident and said it would raise it at 
the London meeting.



http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23106412-5005961,00.html

Girl, 14, arrested in whaling protest
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By staff writers
January 25, 2008 09:55am
A 14-YEAR-old British girl has been arrested after protesting against 
whaling outside the Japanese embassy in London, inspired by the work of 
Greenpeace in the Southern Ocean.
Sophie Wyness and her father Martin were removed by police after tying 
themselves to a railing inside the embassy.
The pair was charged with criminal trespass and will appear in court on 
February 6.
"I honestly think that me having a criminal record is not a big price to pay 
when what the whales are going through is so much worse," Sophie said, 
according to the British Press Association.
The teenager took action after watching a film about the Greenpeace vessel 
Esperanza - which is disrupting the activities of the Japanese whaling fleet 
in the Southern Ocean.
One video clip which showed a whale being blown up, had "hit me hard", she 
said.
The video pushed her to stage the hour-long protest because she felt it was 
wrong to wrong to "brutally murder" whales.

"It's a very important subject at the moment. They're such amazing creatures 
and they deserve rights and love and a bit of respect," she said.
"I have total respect for the Japanese people but not what they're doing out 
there with the whales."
Direct action was the only way to focus attention on whaling, she said.
It is not the first time the 14-year-old has been removed from a protest but 
it is the first time she has been arrested.
She has previously campaigned against Australia's nuclear policy.
Mr Wyness has previously been arrested for environmental actions. He was 
removed by security guards from the British Museum in October for a climate 
change protest in which he put face masks on two figures from the Terracotta 
Army.
Japan has faced international condemnation over its plans to kill endangered 
whales in the Antarctic as part of its annual "scientific program".
Earlier this month, the Japanese announced they were dropping plans to kill 
50 humpback whales but were pressing ahead with the hunting of 935 minke and 
50 endangered fin whales.

http://news.smh.com.au/diplomats-summoned-after-whaling-protest/20080304-1wpl.html

Diplomats summoned after whaling protest
March 4, 2008 - 1:13PM
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Japan has called in the Australian and Dutch ambassadors in Tokyo to urge 
them to rein in anti-whaling protesters.
The diplomatic move by Japan comes after protesters on Monday pelted a 
Japanese whaling ship in Antarctic waters with foul-smelling acid and 
"slippery" powder.
The Australian government condemned the actions of protest group Sea 
Shepherd, which says it threw beer bottles containing butyric acid, found in 
rotten butter, at the whaling ship Nisshin Maru.
Japan described the US-based Sea Shepherd as "terrorists" and has lodged 
protests with Australia, where the Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin vessel last 
called into port, and The Netherlands, where the boat is registered.
Japan summoned Australian Ambassador Murray McLean and Dutch Ambassador 
Alphons Hamer, urging them to prevent more clashes, the Japanese foreign 
ministry said.
Japan complained that several crew members were hurt in Monday's clash, but 
Sea Shepherd denied anyone had been injured.
"That was an inexcusable act to inflict unjustifiable damage to Japan's ship 
and to harm the safety of the crew who are operating legally in the public 
sea," said Japan's top government spokesman Nobutaka Machimura.
Japanese authorities said they were still investigating a substance in 
envelopes thrown by Sea Shepherd protesters, said to make the Japanese 
ship's deck so slippery that the crew could not work.
Sea Shepherd head Paul Watson said he was disappointed Australian Foreign 
Minister Stephen Smith had condemned the anti-whaling group's actions on 
Monday, and again disputed Japanese claims four crewmen were injured.
"If you hold up a picket line and say `stop killing whales' they (Japanese 
whalers) will claim injuries. They didn't show any evidence," Mr Watson said 
via satellite phone from aboard his ship.
"I have been disappointed with everything the Australian government has been 
doing since the election. Every single promise was just posing and posturing 
and making sure they don't upset the Japanese.
"Instead of condemning us he should condemn the Japanese for what they are 
doing."
Mr Watson said Sea Shepherd had no plans for further confrontations soon.
Instead Sea Shepherd would follow the Nisshin Maru and was confident it 
could stop Japan killing another whale this season.
Sea Shepherd head Paul Watson said his ship, the Steve Irwin, had enough 
fuel to stay with the Nisshin Maru for about two more weeks.
"We have enough fuel on here to be about here for another ten to fourteen 
days at this speed because we're burning a lot chasing them but I think that 
we can effectively make sure they're not going to kill any (more) whales," 
Mr Watson told ABC Radio.
The hunting season ends around the middle of this month as the winter 
weather sets in across the treacherous Southern Ocean.
"They're going to have to get out of here because the weather's changing and 
becoming nastier," Mr Watson said.
"I think we can shut them down for the rest of the season.
"There'll be at least five hundred or possibly six hundred whales that will 
have been spared this season because of our interventions."
Western nations, led by Australia, strongly oppose Japan's whaling.
Japan, which kills up to 1,000 whales a year, says whaling is part of its 
culture, and accuses anti-whaling countries of insensitivity.
It harpoons whales using a loophole in a 1986 global moratorium on whaling 
that allows "lethal research" on the giant mammals, although the meat often 
ends up on Japanese dinner plates.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said Mr McLean held 
discussions with the Japanese government on Monday but had not been formally 
summoned over the whaling incident.
"The Australian Ambassador was not formally summoned over the incident," a 
DFAT spokeswoman said.
"He did have discussions ... with the Japanese government in Tokyo over the 
incident as part of his normal liaison with relevant Japanese officials."

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/393165.html

Sea Shepherd activists injured as Japanese military open fire
UK Indymedia Features | 07.03.2008 12:37 | Animal Liberation | Ecology | 
World
A clash between the crew of the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin, who is in 
the Southern Ocean to fight the ongoing Japanese whaling slaughter near the 
Antarctic, turned violent when the Japanese Coast Guard began to throw flash 
grenades at its crew. Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd ship was 
struck by a bullet in the chest. Fortunately, the bullet was stopped by his 
Kevlar vest.
Other injuries were sustained by crewmembers Australian Ashley Dunn and 
Ralph Lowe. Dunn suffered a hip injury as he tried to get out of the way of 
the exploding grenades. Lowe received bruises to his back when one of the 
flash grenades exploded behind him. Japan is denying that any bullets have 
been fired, saying "warning devices" were thrown after their ship was 
attacked. According to the Japanese foreign ministry their coastguard on 
board on of the whaling ships had thrown a "baseball-sized device, which 
exploded near the activists' ship emitting a loud noise". However, the Sea 
Shepherd Conservation Society has posted a video on their website, clearly 
showing devices being thrown from the whaling ship exploding and a bullet 
being recovered from Paul Watson's jacket. One UK activist (from Nottingham) 
is also onboard the ship, but it has not been reported he suffered any 
injuries.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23064648-601,00.html

Oceanic Viking to end high-seas drama
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January 17, 2008
AN Australian customs ship is preparing to transfer two men held on a 
Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean as soon as possible.
The Australian government has agreed to let the Oceanic Viking customs 
vessel assist in the transfer of Benjamin Potts, 28, of Sydney and Giles 
Lane, 35 from Britain from the Yushin Maru No. 2.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told reporters in Perth the government would 
use the Oceanic Viking to transfer the pair back to the Sea Shepherd 
Conservation Society vessel the Steve Irwin.
"We would like the transfer to be expedited as soon as possible but people 
should understand it is a difficult operation," Mr Smith said.
He said the risky high seas operation required the cooperation of the two 
vessels, the two captains and the two men.
The foreign minister said the Oceanic Viking was currently trying to contact 
the two vessels to enable a transfer as soon as possible.
Mr Smith said the two men were reportedly safe and well. "The formal advice 
from the Japanese authorities is the two men are safe and well."
Mr Smith would not comment on possible motivation of the parties involved in 
the stand-off, but he said having called for assistance he now expected full 
cooperation from the Sea Shepherd crew.
Mr Smith refused to discuss the legalities of the two men's actions but said 
he did believe "restraint has been lacking". He said he would not condone 
any unlawful activity.
"I not only don't condone it I absolutely condemn it."
This afternooon Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called on the Japanese government 
and environmental activists to exercise restraint to allow the safe return 
of the men.
Speaking in Brisbane, Mr Rudd said Mr Smith was in constant talks with 
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to procure their immediate safe return.
Mr Smith said the Oceanic Viking, a customs vessel steaming south from 
Fremantle, was already within sight of the Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru 
2 and he was considering what action to take.
Greenpeace meanwhile has spotted Japan's floating whale processing factory 
Nisshin Maru  also on its way to the scene of the drama.
Mr Rudd called on activists and those on board Yushin Maru No. 2, to 
exercise calm.

"I have concerns about the safety of all people involved with the operation 
... therefore I would again urge restraint on the parties, full cooperation 
on the part of those involved to ensure the safe return of these two 
individuals," he told reporters.

Mr Rudd said the Australian government still remained committed to ending 
commercial whaling.
Mr Smith said the Oceanic Viking could be used to pick up two detained 
anti-whaling activists.
"Obviously one option in rendering assistance is the use of the Oceanic 
Viking and that is one of the options we are currently considering," Mr 
Smith told reporters in Perth.
The government dispatched the Oceanic Viking to Antarctic waters last week 
to monitor Japanese whaling and gather evidence for a possible international 
legal challenge to end the annual hunt.
"I can advise the Oceanic Viking is currently within sighting distance of 
the Japanese whaling vessel," he said.
Australia's role as an intermediary in the return of Australian Benjamin 
Potts, 28, and Briton Giles Lane, 35, has been accepted by both Japan and 
Sea Shepherd.
The Japanese whalers have been adamant that the Sea Shepherd Conservation 
Society agree not to interfere with Japan's whaling operation as a condition 
for their crew members' return.
But they have left open the option for the Oceanic Viking to act as an 
intermediary and pick up the two protesters if the conditions were not met.
"If Sea Shepherd don't comply (with Japan's conditions) it would be 
acceptable if the Australian government used the Oceanic Viking to act an as 
intermediary," a spokesman for the Japanese whalers said.
"It would be quite acceptable for the Australian government to come up 
alongside and collect the two men if they really want them and give them 
back to the Sea Shepherd.
"You must understand the reluctance of the Japanese to lash their vessel up 
to the Steve Irwin -- it's just not going to happen like that," said Glenn 
Inwood,  spokesman for the whalers.
The skipper of the protesters' vessel Steve Irwin told The Australian that 
there was no way the conservation society would give into the demands of 
"terrorists".
In an online audio interview today, Captain Paul Watson ruled out protesters 
using arms and boarding the Yushin Maru No 2 to free his two crew members.
But he was considering manoevering his vessel in front of the Yushin Maru No 
2 to block it from moving as a means to force it to return the captive crew 
members.
He said the whalers had demanded that the Steve Irwin remain at least 10 
nautical miles away from the Japanese vessel, and send a small boat to pick 
the men up -- something Watson rejects as too dangerous.
"Apparently the Japanese government has told the Yushin Maru No 2 to give 
our crew members back and yet we still don't have them on board. So we want 
to know why they haven't been released.
"They (the Yushin Maru No 2) are making demands of us and holding two of our 
crew members hostage.
"That's extortion and we have no interest in negotiating with criminals. 
They are out there breaking the law."
Greenpeace meanwhile says the Japanese whaling factory - Nisshin Maru - was 
on its way back to the hunting zone in the Southern Ocean, the scene of a 
tense standoff between whalers and environmental activists.
Expedition director Karli Thomas, on board Greenpeace ship Esperanza, said 
the Nisshin Maru turned back towards the rest of the fleet in the whaling 
waters on Tuesday.
The Esperanza has been following the Japanese ship since it located the 
whaling fleet on Saturday.
With AFP and AAP

http://de.indymedia.org/2008/01/205247.shtml

Protests stop PNG island oil palm project
Diet Simon, sourced on Rettet den Regenwald 17.01.2008 08:38 Themen: 
Weltweit Ökologie
Massive local and international protest has stopped a Malaysian company's 
plan to grow oil palms on nearly all of a pristine Papua-New Guinean island.
The PNG agriculture minister, John Hickey, who first approved the plan has 
now confirmed that it's been dropped. The palm oil was to be exported for 
agrofuel production.

The Malaysian Vitroplant Ltd. had intended to clear away 60,000 hectares of 
rain forest on the island of Woodlark, which lies about 280 kilometres from 
Papua New Guinea and has a total area of about 85,000 hectares.

The 6,000 islanders would have lost their culture, their hunting grounds and 
their lands for growing food. The palm plantation would have destroyed 
almost all the still intact flatland rain forest of the island and with it a 
breathtaking biodiversity. Marine life along the island's coasts would also 
have been destroyed by wastes produced by the palm oil project.

Almost without exception the islanders resisted the plan, backed by pressure 
from environmental activists around the globe. Almost 8,500 people sent 
protest letters just through the Germany-based "Rettet den Regenwald" (Save 
the Rain Forest) website ( http://www.regenwald.org).

Rettet den Regenwald has started another protest campaign asking for letters 
to demand that the European Union give up its plan to mandate 10% agrofuels 
in transportation by 2020.

Even the EU's Environment Commissioner, Stavros Dimas, conceded in an 
interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation on 14 January 2008: "We 
have seen that the environmental problems caused by biofuels and also the 
social problems are bigger than we thought they were. So we have to move 
very carefully."

A draft internal report gives the EU Commission a scathing assessment of the 
European agrofuel plans and warns of devastating ecological and social 
problems resulting from them.

On 23 January 2008 the Commission intends to present a climate and energy 
package of which the agrofuel quota is a core element.

For more on the devastation caused by palm oil see 
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/protest-against-palmoil-german-candle-production.

http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0212-hance_woodlark.html

How activists and scientists saved a rainforest island from destruction for 
palm oil
By Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com
February 12, 2008
Saving an island: analysis of Woodlark Island's victory over palm-oil 
development

How Woodlark Island's plight went from local to global

In mid-January, Mongabay learned that the government of Papua New Guinea had 
changed its mind: it would no longer allow Vitroplant Ltd. to deforest 70% 
of Woodlark Island for palm oil plantations. This change came about after 
one hundred Woodlark Islanders (out of a population of 6,000) traveled to 
Alotau, the capital of Milne Bay Province, to deliver a protest letter to 
the local government; after several articles in Mongabay and Pacific 
Magazine highlighted the plight of the island; after Eco-Internet held a 
campaign in which approximately three thousand individuals worldwide sent 
nearly 50,000 letters to local officials; and after an article appeared in 
the London Telegraph stating that due to deforestation on New Britain Island 
and planned deforestation on Woodlark Island, Papua New Guinea had gone from 
being an eco-hero to an 'eco-zero'.

The endemic Woodlark Cuscus is safe for now. Photo by Tim Flannery
Except for the article in the London Telegraph, the issue of Woodlark Island 
was largely ignored by mainstream western media. For many involved this was 
disappointing, since the plight of Woodlark Island so perfectly presented 
the wholesale destruction palm oil plantations have been causing in Asian 
and Pacific forests for years. Dr. Glen Barry, founder and director of 
Ecological Internet, referred to the situation as the "epitome of ecological 
evil" since this "incredibly diverse island would be turned over to a 
monoculture crop". Although the issue barely touched mainstream media, it 
still found its way from local protestors to scientists to global 
organizations, eventually putting international pressure on the 
decision-makers.

Mongabay first learned of the plight of Woodlark Island from a blog entry by 
the conservation organization EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally 
Endangered). The organization had been contacted by researchers on the 
ground. After receiving help and information from Alexander Rheeney, an 
environmental journalist who covered the issue locally, Mongabay sent word 
to various campaign organizations. Dr. Barry's Ecological Internet took it 
on, setting up the campaign to flood Papua New Guinea's government with 
e-mails from around. In the meantime, island natives continued to pressure 
the government and the London Telegraph picked up the story. It appears that 
the combined protests and negative attention were enough to sway the 
government to drop the project.

Opposition in many forms

There can be no doubt that the most important part of the opposition to the 
deforestation of Woodlark Island was the courageous citizens of Woodlark 
themselves, who decided not to allow the government and Vitroplant Ltd. to 
devastate the island's ecology, resources, and way of life for short-term 
monetary gain. Mongabay had been in contact with one of the leaders of the 
local opposition, Dr. Simon Piwuyes, from early on. He had this to say when 
the government pulled the project: "This is fantastic. It is important that 
the livelihood of the Woodlark Islanders and the eco-system that surrounds 
them is maintained. Woodlark Islanders live care-free lives in the midst of 
the ocean and their rich forest land. The forest and the animals play an 
irreplaceable importance in the lives of the islanders. It is a great relief 
to learn that the government has spared rare species that our earth 
desperately loves to keep. I, on behalf of the Woodlark Islanders, salute 
the government for the decision." When asked why he thought the government 
changed its position, Dr. Piyuwes stated: "Number one: pressure from the 
landowners, number two: pressure from the NGOs, and number three: pressure 
from international organizations and individuals". He added, "On this note I 
salute all organizations and individuals for signing up for this great 
issue. Our earth needs such cooperation."

The cooperative efforts also included scientists and researchers. Dr. 
Kristofer Helgen, a mammalogist who focuses on species in the Papua New 
Guinea and its neighboring islands, stated, "I think that this is very good 
news. Woodlark Islanders loudly objected to major oil palm development on 
Woodlark. Their campaign to prevent this action involved contacting 
international researchers to attract attention to their cause, which is how 
I came to be aware of the situation." Researchers and scientists proved 
instrumental in spreading the word and providing continual context and 
information. Without them the issue would never have made it to a variety of 
media sources.

Forests.org, part of Ecological Internet, was the largest organization to 
take on the issue. Ecological Internet asks online members to send out 
protest letters regarding various environmental issues. When asked why he 
decided to set-up a campaign for Woodlark Island, Dr. Barry expressed a 
personal link to the region: "[Ecological Internet's] efforts began with 
Papua New Guinea. The country is near and dear to my heart. I married a 
woman from Papua New Guinea, and my wife and daughter are there visiting 
now." Dr. Barry also felt positive about his organization's ability to make 
a difference in this situation. "I was quite confident," he says, "given the 
secrecy of this project with the shady Malaysian company that once we 
exposed it we could either halt the project or delay it long enough for 
further scrutiny and oversight". Dr. Barry describes the power of his 
organization as 'the boomerang effect': the issue goes out to his over 
100,000 members worldwide-living in almost every nation-and then boomerangs 
back to the local nation involved. Carly Waterman, project coordinator for 
EDGE, believes that the victory for Woodlark Island "really highlights the 
power of the Internet, where one person's voice can turn into millions 
overnight"

Map modified from Google Earth
At the time of the protest by Ecological Internet there was an opportunity 
to remind Papua New Guinea of its previous pro-environmental statements, 
namely its desire to receive funds for preserving its forests to mitigate 
climate change. Papua New Guinea even made headlines during the Bali 
conference on climate change when one of its members, Kevin Conrad, had the 
courage to stand-up to the world's super-power. "I would ask the United 
States, we ask for your leadership," Mr. Conrad said, "but if for some 
reason you're not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us. Please get 
out of the way." His comments were met with applause from leaders worldwide 
and shortly thereafter the U.S. caved to international pressure. The article 
on Woodlark Island in the London Telegraph alluded to this very moment in 
its observation that Papua New Guinea was not truly an 'eco-hero' but an 
'eco-zero' due to its willingness t engage in deforestation. Dr. Barry also 
grasped the opportunity: "You were leaders of rainforest conservation, now 
you are going to allow an island with endemic species and people living in 
harmony with their rainforest to be essentially mowed down." There is no 
question that the comments made during the Bali conference, and in previous 
arenas, came back to haunt the government of Papua New Guinea.

What the decision protects: the singularity of Woodlark Island

Papua New Guinea and its surrounding islands is a region of ecological 
wonders. Woodlark Island alone possesses at least twenty-four endemic animal 
species; the island has been only partially surveyed by biologists; each new 
expedition usually turns up a species unknown to science. Most famous of the 
endemic species is the Woodlark Cuscus, an arboreal marsupial. Islanders 
occasionally hunt and eat the Cuscus, but this has not affected its healthy 
population. If Vitroplant Ltd. had been allowed to go ahead it is quite 
conceivable that many of Woodlark Island's species would have become 
endangered. Dr. Helgen noted that "for animal species unique to Woodlark 
Island, including the beautiful Woodlark Cuscus, the island's forests are 
their only home. The decision not to destroy those forests is a clear 
victory for everyone interested in the long-term survival of all of Papua 
New Guinea's unique wildlife species, which have fundamental cultural and 
ecological importance in this island nation of ancient and beautiful 
forests." The very ecological systems of the island would have been affected 
as well. Dr. Dan Polhemus stated in a previous article that supplanting 
forest with palm oil greatly degrades local water systems. As well, it was 
believed that chemicals and fertilizers used on the island would end up 
contaminating the surrounding coast, eliminating the fish supply that 
islanders depend upon.

It is not only the ecology of the island that has been preserved by the 
government's decision, but the islander's unique culture as well. 
Deforestation of 70% of the island would have drastically changed a culture 
whose subsistence relies on the island's ecology, an ecology that has been 
shaped by the islanders as much as the islanders have shaped it. Dr. F.H. 
Damon, an anthropologist who has been studying the Woodlark Island for over 
thirty years, says that "there remains on the island something of a unique 
example of a regional social and ecological system that supported human and 
other life for 2000 and more years." Employing gardening, small-scale 
hunting, and pig-herding the islanders have built a sustainable way of life 
for themselves and the island's other species within a mere 80,000 hectares 
(the size of New York City).

It is easy to list off what is being preserved by not developing Woodlark 
Island, but it's more difficult to fully comprehend the agglomerate richness 
of a place like Woodlark Island in its global context. Dr. Barry describes 
Papua New Guinea as "one of four remaining areas of rainforest wilderness-in 
terms of size and contiguous intactness." He says that "as well as Papua New 
Guinea, the other three areas are the Amazon, the Congo, and the Guyana 
Shield. Unlike Europe, China, or the United States, where all habitats are 
small and fragmented, it is very important not to let these last four 
remaining areas become fragmented."

Still not safe: the future of palm-oil

Unfortunately such fragmentation may still occur in Papua New Guinea. Most 
people involved with Woodlark Island believe that the island is still not 
safe from palm oil plantations or other forms of destructive development. 
"It is very likely this issue will appear again in the near future," Dr. 
Barry said, "any rainforest is never truly protected." Dr. Damon agrees, "In 
the scheme of things this is a small decision amidst massive movements which 
may yet overwhelm the island's ecology and culture, a culture that has been 
being eroded for 150 years. Yet the people of the island said no to one 
possible direction for their future. That is a courageous act." Dr. Simon 
Piyuwes is aware of the danger. He said that while the islanders welcomed 
the government's rejection of the project they stilled demanded the 
company's official withdrawal. "This is because the land lease has been 
granted to the company," Dr. Piyuwes explained, "we would like the lease to 
be nullified." It seems the future of palm oil remains strong, even though 
this 'green' biofuel is no greener than gasoline.

A recent study of biofuels and carbon sequestering has proven that virtually 
all agricultural biofuels actually increase emissions that drive climate 
change. This report has received worldwide attention. In a comparison with 
various biofuel crops, palm oil proves to be the most environmentally 
damaging, especially as it is usually produced on cleared rainforest and 
peatlands. According to the study, it would have taken Woodlark Island 
eighty-six years for the palm oil plantations to make-up for the amount of 
carbon their development released in the atmosphere, and yet the lifecycle 
of a palm oil plantation is around thirty years, meaning that it could never 
overcome its carbon debt and would be a net source of CO2.

Despite these reports, scientists believe that biofuels, and in particular 
palm oil, will continue to threaten Papua New Guinea's forests. Both 
Malaysia and Indonesia, the kings of palm oil, have felled so many forests 
and peatlands for the crop that few places remain for expansion, which is 
one reason why Papua New Guinea is suddenly under great pressure to cave 
into the palm oil industry. "I am sure that palm oil plantations will 
continue to expand in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea, at least as long 
as global demand for palm oil remains high," says Dr. Helgen. "This demand 
is linked to strong interest in... 'biofuels' as alternative and inexpensive 
sources of energy, and especially by demand for biofuels in the rapidly 
growing economies of China and India." In addition, Dr. Barry points out 
that the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Michael Somare, never commented 
on the government's decision to pull Vitroplant out of Woodlark Island. 
Barry says that Prime Minister Sumari's "interest in logging and bad 
environmental record has shown him to be a hypocrite. I have seen this 
happen in Uganda, a minister cancels a project while the Prime Minister does 
not comment on it. It means that it will be likely that palm oil production 
and logging will be seen again in Papua New Guinea." Dr. Damon adds a 
further warning for the future: "until we devise new energy sources and 
models of the human good, [palm oil production] is a track to destruction. 
Monocrop agriculture is not a viable future but so many things have to 
change before we have a realistic alternative that it is almost hopeless to 
think about a different future."

Some scientists believe there are ways to counter the current biofuel rush. 
"I think that part of the solution to countering the 'blitzkrieg' expansion 
of palm oil plantations into former rainforested lands across Asia and 
Melanesia is getting the word out globally that the global biofuel 
industry," says Dr. Helgen, "especially those parts of the industry that 
involve massive tropical deforestation, involve catastrophic losses of 
biodiversity... and may have a huge negative impact in worldwide efforts to 
counteract the acceleration of global climate change." With more attention 
placed on biofuels by researchers and governments-the EU has already taken 
notice-it is possible the palm oil industry will begin to wan in South East 
Asia. Dr. Barry sees hope in current trends, "I think the kind of unfettered 
growth that we have seen in the last few years as biofuels and oil palm were 
heralded as climate savior is being legitimately questioned." He adds that 
"as we approach 7 billion people, countries will have to choose between 
adequately feeding and adequately transporting themselves." Such choices 
will hopefully lead to further research studies and a greater focus on more 
effective ways to fight climate change.

The necessity of celebrating victories


Beginnings of an oil palm plantation. Courtesy of UNEP
While Woodlark Island is still threatened, while so much of South East 
Asia's forests have succumbed to palm oil, and while every year more and 
more effects from climate change are seen, some might believe that claiming 
any victory is premature. However, Dr. Barry who has seen both victories and 
disappointments in his organization, says, "I don't know how else to sustain 
a movement and grow a movement than celebrating positive developments." Such 
celebrations, whether of preserving Woodlark Island or ending the use of 
rainforest wood to make New York City's benches, are important "to sustain 
ourselves, and give ourselves hope... We live to fight another day." Dr. 
Barry concluded that for environmentalists, "A lot of this is fighting a 
defensive action. When the moment comes where the world finally begins to 
focus on the necessity of large-scale ecological renewal the seeds of 
habitat will remain to make this restoration possible."

For Dr. Piyuwes, and the inhabitants of Woodlark Island, there is no 
question that this is a victory. When asked what advice he would give to 
those participating in future struggles for conservation, he had this to 
say: "We need to preserve our forest from deforestation. There are other 
alternatives to development. There are many organizations and individuals 
nationally and internationally who are willing to support you on the issue 
of deforestation. My advice is to engage the international organization and 
media to battle the issue." Dr. Piyuwes is now able to imagine a much more 
celebratory future for his native island than anyone could have a month ago. 
"Number one," he says, "we will demand the Government to give back the land 
to the islanders (woodlark is state land). Number two, declare woodlark as 
protected land. Number three, encourage eco-tourism." Only the victory over 
Vitroplant allows such happy plans to be realistic.

http://www.times.co.nz/cms/news/2008/04/art100019881.php

Protestors picket retail giant over kwila wood products
Wednesday, 09 April 2008

By CAMERON BROADHURST

. Howick and Botany Times
COLOURFUL street theatre protests took place  outside Manukau's Harvey 
Norman store recently to highlight illegally logged kwila wood products on 
sale.

KWILA CONTROVERSY: A chainsaw attempts to cut down a kwila tree while 
watched by a bird of paradise at a protest outside Manukau's Harvey Norman 
store. Photo supplied.
The small protest at Ronwood Avenue was held by the Indonesian Human Rights 
Committee.
Spokeswoman Maire Leadbeater says: "Virtually all kwila is coming from West 
Papua and virtually all of it is illegally logged."
The wood is popular in outdoor furniture in New Zealand, but many retailers 
have stopped selling it.
Concerns about the wood include that it's becoming extinct, as forests in 
West Papua and Papua New Guinea are denuded by illegal logging and that 
indigenous Papuans are being adversely affected by the tree removal.
The committee worked together with Greenpeace to produce a report rating 
outdoor furniture retailers, some of which have already changed policy since 
it was issued a month ago.
Ms Leadbeater says the protesters, a few dressed as birds of paradise, were 
able to get their point across and even march through the store to talk to 
the manager.
A manager for Harvey Norman says the company uses suppliers and does not 
import anything directly. He refuses to comment further.
Ms Leadbeater says the committee is considering protesting at the Four 
Seasons store in Botany, which is selling kwila and has an E rating on the 
chart.