Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Greenpeace proposes Papua logging moratorium

Posted at 03:25 on 21 October, 2008 UTC

Greenpeace has called on the Indonesian government to urgently declare a moratorium on logging to save the remaining rainforest in the Papua region.

The NGO has been touring Papua in its ship, Esperanza, for the past two weeks and a spokesperson Bustar Maitar says they have witnessed illegal and increasing deforestation in trips into the hinterland on their helicopter.

He says the forests of Papua are under heavy pressure from palm oil expansion, logging operations and other drivers of forest destruction.

Mr Maitar says a moratorium will help curb Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard the wealth of tropical biodiversity and protect the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities all across Indonesia.

Greenpeace had earlier accused the Papua authorities of turning a blind eye to illegal logging.