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| Help eradicate illegal logging! |
Why we need our forests
The world's forests are in crisis
Europe is driving the illegal timber trade Worldwide
The causes of Illegal logging
The implications of Illegal logging
Forests are home to 90% of the world's terrestrial biological diversity, from great apes, orang-utans, tigers and pandas to millions of species of plants.
Covering about 30% of the globe, our forests harbour the largest share of threatened species, and around two-thirds of land based species.
Forests are a reliable source of fresh water, and provide a host of natural resources for some 60 million indigenous people.
Tropical forests act as the world's thermostat, regulating temperatures and weather patterns.
They also provide life-saving medicines. One-quarter of Western medicines are derived from plants, yet scientists have only screened 1% of tropical trees for their medical properties.
Take Action now: Ask your MP to support new illegal logging legislation.
The world's forests are in crisis.
Around half the Earth's original forest cover has been lost forever. Of what remains only 12% is formally protected, and most of this is badly managed.
Our forests are disappearing at a staggering rate. An area more than half the size of the UK (13million hectares) is lost every year. That's 36 football pitches every single minute.
The global trade in illegal timber, estimated at 10 to 15 billion euros per year is a key threat to forest survival throughout the world.
Take Action now: Ask your MP to support new illegal logging legislation.
Europe is driving the illegal timber trade Worldwide.
The European Union is a major importer of illegal timber, responsible for at least three billion euros of illegal trade per year.
The UK is the largest importer of illegal timber in Europe, consuming an area the size of Devon (645,000 hectares) every year.
A WWF study estimated that 26% of all UK timber imports from 6 key forest regions – the Amazon Basin, Congo Basin, Indonesia, Russia and Baltic States – were from illegal sources.
As a major buyer and importer of illegal forest products and with European companies heavily implicated in this trade, the EU has the duty and the power to curtail criminal activities linked to illegal logging.
Take Action now: Ask your MP to support new illegal logging legislation.
The causes of Illegal logging
Illegal logging is driven by the high demand for timber in the EU, Japan, the US and in emerging economies such as China. Fuelled by this massive demand for cheap timber, illegal logging is a highly lucrative operation.
Illegal logging occurs in over 70 countries, from Brazil to Canada, Cameroon to Indonesia, and from Peru to Russia. The enforcement of local laws in some of these countries is so poor that companies earn greater profits by breaking the law.
Logging in protected areas, logging over quota, logging without a licence, or non-payment of export duties are common problems.
We simply cannot rely on laws being effectively enforced in the countries from which we procure our wood.
And in Europe our current laws are failing to stop the tidal wave of illegal imports flooding directly into Europe, or through the back-door via third party countries such as China.
At present it is not actually illegal to import illegal timber into Europe.
Take Action now: Ask your MP to support new illegal logging legislation.
The implications of Illegal logging.
Species threatened:
- In the Congo Basin vast areas of rainforest have been opened up for logging by European concerns. Some timber companies collude with, or turn a blind eye to, the poaching of gorillas and other protected species. Logging roads and trails are opening up previously untouched forest areas and provide ready access to hunters, who provide logging company employees with bush meat. Logging trucks are also used to transport bush meat out of the forest to city markets.
- In Sumatra illegal logging in places such as the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park - set up to protect some of the world's most endangered species, the Sumatran rhino and tiger – is now threatening their future survival.
- The Indonesian Government confirmed in 2003 that an Indonesian timber company was receiving illegal timber from notorious timber barons known to have obtained timber from an orang-utan refuge – the Tanjung Putting National Park.
- 75% of Russian timber imported to Europe comes from the Russian Northwest region, an area rich in biodiversity and home to rare species such as lynx, bear, wolf and capercaillie, now increasingly under threat from illegal logging.
- In Russia's Far East the Amur Tiger's range is less than a quarter of what it was 75 years ago. There are only 180 breeding females in the population, and the average number of cubs has dropped from 2.5 per female to 1.67 per female. The increase in illegal logging is reducing these tigers natural habitat.
Financial impacts:- Producer countries lose billions in lost tax revenue, revenue which could be used for sustainable development.
- Indonesia loses $1 billion a year where an estimated 88% of all timber is logged illegally.
- During the 1980's the Philippines lost $1.8 billion per year.
- International timber markets are destabilised as irresponsible companies drastically under cut legal operations.
Take Action now: Ask your MP to support new illegal logging legislation.
WWF is calling for:
- MPs to sign the Motion in Parliament (EDM 132), thus demonstrating to government the widespread support for new EU legislation – legislation which is required urgently.
- EU legislation that makes it illegal to import illegal timber into the EU and puts the onus on companies (importers, manufacturers, retailers) to ensure their timber (and wood products) comes from legal sources.
- EU legislation that allows enforcement officials to seize illegally sourced forest products (covering all wood products) and prosecutes those that trade in them.
Take Action now: Ask your MP to support new illegal logging legislation. |
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WWF-UK > Research > Issues > Forests > Useful sites
