Saving Tasmania’s Primeval Forests

ROBIN WOOD: Conservation of the unique natural heritage is important for the world’s climate

A few days before the beginning of the world climate summit in Copenhagen ROBIN WOOD asked Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to implement an immediate stop of felling in Tasmania’s primeval forests and to permanently protect these forests.

The rainforest vegetation of Tasmania – the southernmost Australian state situated on an island – is unique in the world. It contains a multitude of geologically very old tree species occurring nowhere else. In Tasmania grow the tallest hardwood trees on earth. One of them is the Tasmanian oak which can grow up to 100 meters (328 feet) high. The cool and rainy climate means these pristine forests can accumulate more carbon than most other forests in the world.

In Tasmania there are large nature reserves, but most of the primeval forests, e.g. in the Upper Florentine Valley or in the Tarkine Region, are unprotected, due mainly to the interests of the forestry industry. The timber industry has already clear-cut vast forest areas and transformed them into monocultures of pine and eucalyptus trees. The Tasmanian forestry industry is notorious for its reckless practices. These include large-scale clear-cutting, and the burning off of the logged areas using napalm. On private land, wallabies and possums are poisoned in large numbers to avoid them damaging the young regrowing trees.

“The Tasmanian forests are a unique natural heritage and important for the world’s climate. It is irresponsible to leave them to the timber industry“, says Rudolf Fenner, responsible for forests with ROBIN WOOD. ”We expect a promise from Prime Minister Rudd in Copenhagen that he will finally place Tasmania’s primeval forests under protection.“

ROBIN WOOD has begun a nationwide ‘letter of protest’ action in Germany, calling for the protection of Tasmania’s forests. A detailed background report on the threat to the Tasmanian forests and the protest letter action can be found here.

Please contact us for further inquiry:

Rudolf Fenner, ROBIN WOOD, responsible for forests, phone ++49 40 / 380 892 11, wald(at)robinwood.de

Ute Bertrand, ROBIN WOOD, spokeswoman, phone ++ 49 40 / 380 892 22, presse(at)robinwood.de

---