Greenpeace seeks UK seizure of Amazonian timber
Reuters | 05.03.2002 11:01
Greenpeace took the British government to court on Monday in a bid to force it to seize a cargo of Amazonian mahogany which it says has been imported illegally.
.
The 811-cubic-metre cargo aboard the ship MV Cunene is moored at Birkenhead docks, Liverpool, in northwest England pending the outcome of the trial.
Speaking outside London's High Court, Greenpeace campaigner Andy Tait said the importation of the cargo contravened an international treaty restricting the trade in endangered species which Britain had signed up to.
''What we are asking for is for the timber to be impounded while enquiries continue in the UK to clarify whether the origin is legal. We believe it is not,'' Tait told Reuters.
''We supposedly have a government that is completely committed to end the trade of illegal imports into the UK, yet they've done nothing but get dragged into court by Greenpeace.''
The environmental campaign group said it was seeking a judicial review and an injunction to stop the cargo being traded until the court case was over.
While unable to comment on the specifics of the hearing, a spokeswoman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said: ''No shipment would be allowed to be imported into the country if it didn't have an export permit.''
Greenpeace said though the cargo had been cleared for export by the relevant Brazilian authorities it still contravened the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species.
''The British government is arguing that the export permit is authentic and is a real permit,'' said Tait. ''Our argument is that, yes, it is authentic in as much as it was issued by the responsible authority but it is not valid because it was issued invalidly.''
Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.
The 811-cubic-metre cargo aboard the ship MV Cunene is moored at Birkenhead docks, Liverpool, in northwest England pending the outcome of the trial.
Speaking outside London's High Court, Greenpeace campaigner Andy Tait said the importation of the cargo contravened an international treaty restricting the trade in endangered species which Britain had signed up to.
''What we are asking for is for the timber to be impounded while enquiries continue in the UK to clarify whether the origin is legal. We believe it is not,'' Tait told Reuters.
''We supposedly have a government that is completely committed to end the trade of illegal imports into the UK, yet they've done nothing but get dragged into court by Greenpeace.''
The environmental campaign group said it was seeking a judicial review and an injunction to stop the cargo being traded until the court case was over.
While unable to comment on the specifics of the hearing, a spokeswoman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said: ''No shipment would be allowed to be imported into the country if it didn't have an export permit.''
Greenpeace said though the cargo had been cleared for export by the relevant Brazilian authorities it still contravened the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species.
''The British government is arguing that the export permit is authentic and is a real permit,'' said Tait. ''Our argument is that, yes, it is authentic in as much as it was issued by the responsible authority but it is not valid because it was issued invalidly.''
Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.
Reuters