Greenpeace ship visits Indonesia

Greenpeace SE Asia reports:

Greenpeace ship Esperanza arrived this morning in Manokwari, West Papua, with new evidence of the mounting threat to Papua’s forests from palm oil expansion, logging and other drivers of deforestation. Greenpeace revealed its findings of deforestation activities, some illegal, which they witnessed during the first leg of the ‘Forest for Climate’ ship tour that launched last week.

During our helicopter flyovers, in the past week we have seen the magnificent beauty of Indonesia’s last frontier of intact forest and also witnessed illegal and increasing deforestation activities.

Evidence gathered during the trip includes clearing of sago and nipah forest south of Jayapura to make way for large scale palm oil plantations by palm oil giant Sinar Mas and, continuing illegal logging activities in the suspended logging concessions of PT Kaltim Hutama and PT Centrico in Kaimana, West Papua.

The forests of Papua are are under heavy pressure from palm oil expansion, logging operations and other drivers of forest destruction. We all need to play our part in safeguarding Indonesia's forests and the global climate by calling on the Indonesian Government to declare a moratorium on deforestation now.