TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Environmentalists Praise Amazon Lumber Seizure

ADVERTISEMENT

The Associated Press

Published: February 15, 2008

BRASILIA, Brazil - A huge government seizure of illegally cut Amazon lumber shows improved enforcement, environmentalists said Thursday, but they said it would not yet stop destruction of the rain forest.

Police on Wednesday seized 353,107 cubic feet of lumber that had been logged illegally in the rain forest, part of a crackdown on clandestine logging prompted by a sharp reported rise in deforestation late last year.

The lumber was seized from five of the 140 sawmills registered in the eastern Amazon town of Tailandia, and authorities said that they expect to seize an additional 388,410 cubic feet by the end of next week.

"The seizure is a clear indication that things have improved in terms of inspection and control mechanisms," Greenpeace's Marcelo Marquesini said. "But there is still a long way to go."

"When compared to the total volume of lumber that is cut down illegally," the seizures "represent very little," he added, calling for more inspectors.

The government environment agency Ibama says 1,700 inspectors are now assigned to control illegal logging and other illicit activities, such as the contraband of wild animals, in an area that covers 1.6 million square miles.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT