Peru's mahogany exports threaten survival of indigenous tribes and violate international environmental law

AIDESEP (National Association of Amazon Indians, Peru) and Rainforest Foundation Norway A new report documents widespread illegal and unsustainable logging of mahogany in Peru. The Peruvian government issues export licences for the timber, in violation of international laws regulating trade in endangered species. Mahogany logging is one of the major threats to indigenous tribes living in voluntary isolation in the Peruvian Amazon. AIDESEP and Rainforest Foundation Norway demand that the international meeting of the CITES convention, beginning this weekend in the Netherlands, suspends all exports of mahogany from Peru.

Peru is the world's largest exporter of mahogany[1] one of the world's most valuable and appreciated timber species. Extensive logging is threatening the species with extinction, and the exports are regulated by the international convention on trade in endangered species (CITES)[2]

A report[3] published today by the Peruvian organisation AIDESEP (The National Association of Amazon Indians in Peru) reveals extensive illegal logging and subsequent clear violations of CITES regulations. It also documents how the logging and trade in mahogany threatens the survival of indigenous communities living in voluntary isolation.

"Illegal logging of mahogany is threatening the survival of indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation in the Peruvian Amazon. Unsustainable logging is also putting the whole ecosystem in the Amazon at risk, and must be stopped immediately", says Alberto Pizango, president of AIDESEP.

The report Illegal logging and international trade in mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) from the Peruvian Amazon documents that illegal logging is taking place inside national parks and reserves for indigenous tribes living in voluntary isolation. Every year there are violent conflicts, some with fatal consequences, between loggers and uncontacted tribes. These tribes are extremely vulnerable to western diseases. Logging activity in their territories consequently represents a threat to their very survival.

Illegally logged mahogany is whitewashed in Peru and exported to the US, Europe and other destinations with unjustified CITES licences issued by the Peruvian CITES administration, INRENA. At least 20 of the 24 companies exporting mahogany from Peru equal to 83 % of the exporters exported illegally logged mahogany in 2005, as documented in the report. The exports were unlawfully licensed with CITES certificates and exported to the US, Europe and other destinations.

Peru's export quota for mahogany in 2007 is set by the Peruvian government, but disregards most of the scientific advice given to ensure a sustainable extraction of the timber species. This is a violation of Peru's obligations under the CITES convention.

 

"The international community, gathering at the 14th Conference of the Parties to CITES , must immediately impose a temporary ban on exports of mahogany from Peru, until the country meets its obligations under the CITES convention", says Lars Løvold, director of Rainforest Foundation Norway. 4

"Countries who buy mahogany from Peru are today accepting illegal logging in Peru's national parks, forest reserves, and indigenous peoples' territories. This has to come to an end", says Alberto Pizango.

 

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Notes

1) Bigleaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) is the main mahogany species in commercial trade.

2) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Bigleaf Mahogany is listed in CITES' appendix II. CITES is the only legally binding international agreement regulating the trade with tropical timber and other endangered species. 171 countries are parties to CITES. http://www.cites.org/

3) La tala ilegal de caoba (Swietenia macrophylla) en la amazonía peruana y su comercialización al Mercado exterior / Illegal logging and international trade in mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) from the Peruvian Amazon, AIDESEP, Lima, Peru, May 2007.

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Contacts:

Alberto Pizango, President of AIDESEP, Peru (Spanish only) Tel: (+51) 1-9 28 99 296 (mobile) (+51) 1-4717118 (office) Email: :[email protected]

Lars Løvold, Director of Rainforest Foundation Norway, Tel: (+47) 48 18 81 48 (mobile) (+47) 23 10 95 07 (office) Email: [email protected]

A briefing note and the full report (Spanish + English) are available for download from: http://www.rainforest.no/html/450.htm In case of problems, send an email to: [email protected]

Pictures from the report are also available. Send an email to: [email protected]

For technical questions regarding the report and mahogany logging, contact the author, César Cerdán (in Peru), email: [email protected] Mob.: +51-1-95086652