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Action against Timber Ship Saga Tide Vlissingen

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02/25/2001

About twenty Greenpeace activists protested in the Dutch port of Vlissingen against the import of hardwood from Canada's Great Bear Rainforest. The activists painted the slogan 'Forest Crime' on the Norwegian flagged vessel 'Saga Tide' which was carrying the timber, and prevented the cargo ship from docking. A Greenpeace activist has been locked to the anchor chain of the Norwegian flagged ship, Saga Tide. After the activist had climbed onto the anchor chain, a harbour pilot's ship crashed against a Greenpeace inflatable knocking down a cameraman filming the activities. The cameraman, Adam Campbell, was taken to a hospital in Vlissingen with shoulder injuries and was later released. The Greenpeace vessel the Argus has been arrested by the Dutch Port Authority after the owners of the Saga Tide made this request to the Dutch courts.

Saga Forest Carrier International, the Norwegian holding company for the Saga Tide asked the Dutch authorities to arrest the Greenpeace ship as a security for the damages suffered by them after not being able to unload their cargo for one day. According to the holding company, they have suffered damages of about 25,000 Euros.
The Netherlands imports around 20,000 cubic meters a year of rainforest timber from British Columbia, Canada. Western red cedar and hemlock are the main timbers imported to Holland for use in the construction industry. Greenpeace is campaigning to ensure the Dutch government and construction companies switch to certified Forest Stewardship Coucil (FSC) timber. "The Canadian government and the timber industry need to know that Greenpeace is not going to stand idle while the Great Bear Rainforest continues to be destroyed", said Just van den Broek, from Greenpeace Netherlands. The protest in Holland is part of a series of Greenpeace actions that have taken place this year in Italy, the US and Hong Kong to bring about a moratorium on logging in the Great Bear Rainforest. The Great Bear Rainforest is home to many threatened species. It is a unique habitat for black tailed deer, grey wolves, grizzly bears and a rare snow-white variation of the black bear called the Kermode or 'Spirit Bear'. "At present, when construction companies buy timber from Canadian logging companies such as Interfor, they are buying rainforest destruction. Their money is fuelling the devastation of some of the world's most endangered forests", warned van den Broek. Interfor has recently gone back to logging areas of pristine rainforest, including the Surf Inlet region on Princess Royal Island. This region, which is the home of the rare white spirit bear, was assessed by scientists as a core area requiring full protection.