Stora Enso's purchase of wood from Saami reindeer grazing areas in the Inari area in Upper Lapland has prompted an Italian Ethical Fund – Banca Etica – to exclude Stora Enso from its ethical investment portfolio, tells Saami Council in their press release.
Photos from ongoing logging operations can be viewed in Flickr.
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Documentary film by Union of Ecoforestry in Finland and Saami Council is available as DVD. You can order your copy from Union of Ecoforestry website. Short introduction can be viewed in YouTube
Logging has restarted in the disputed Saami reindeer forests in Inari. Finnish state has decided to continue the destruction of old-growth wilderness forests in Kessi. Photos from current logging operations can be viewed in the Finnish weblog. Read what Saami Council has to say.
Finnish governmental forestry service Metsahallitus is planning logging in the wilderness forests of Kessi. The buyer of old-growth forest wood is most likely Botnia pulp mill in Kemi, supplying M-Real´s Kemiart mills. See photos taken in planned logging sites.]]>
Forestry enterprise Metsahallitus has since August been logging in crucially important reindeer grazing forests in Muddusjärvi reindeer herding co-operative´s area. According to the reindeer herders, Metsähallitus did not negotiate about the logging plans and the opinions of the herders were not taken into account.]]>
Forestry enterprise Metsahallitus is preparing to restart logging in the disputed old-growth forests in Inari. Logging sites and roadline-plans have been marked in reindeer grazing forests in Hammastunturi and Paatsjoki reindeer herding co-operative´s areas. Metsahallitus has not negotiated with the reindeer herders about the loggings. There are hundreds of occurrences of red-listed species in the planned logging sites.]]>
The Saami Council presents a video reportage about logging in reindeer forests in Inari. The Last Yoik in Saami Forests?- report will be presented in connection on the fifth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues held in New York from 15 to 26 May.]]>
Governmental forestry enterprise Metsähallitus is transporting logs from old-growth forests and reindeer forest areas to pulp and paper industry again. Wood logged from conflict areas has been transported to storage-areas, railway stations and loaded into trains destined for Metsa-Botnia pulp mill in Kemi.
It's the darkest time of the year - "skábma" in Sámi language. Since Christmas week, however, it has been getting more light up in Inari, even though this week has been record cold. Since the UN Human Rights commission forbade logging in Nellim, the state owned forestry enterprise Metsähallitus has started and expanded logging in the other threatened reindeer forests in the municipality.
Greenpeace activists from four different European countries protested today at the Stora Enso mill in Wapenweld in the Netherlands. The protest was aimed at the unsustainable way the company acquires timber from Upper Lapland in Finland. The activists painted the words "forest crime" on the factory wall, on top of the company logo. Even though timber deliveries to Stora Enso have for the time being been stopped, the company has not been willing to take a decision not to buy timber from the disputed areas. The Netherlands together with Germany, Great Britain and Italy is one of the most important clients of Finnish paper industry.]]>
On Monday, 14th November, the UN Human Rights Committee forbade the continuing logging in Nellim, Inari. The decision was delivered to the government of Finland and is temporary. The decision was taken in order to be able to secure a fair trial for the three reindeer herders who sued Metsähallitus and who were demanded a guarantee sum of over one million euros for the termination of logging in their grazing forests. The Finnish government has half a year to answer the committee on alleged human rights violations.]]>
Antares, the freight ship carrying fine paper originating from old growth reindeer forests in Northern Finland, was stopped from entering Lübeck harbour early this morning. Greenpeace activists from several different European countries tried to stop the ship already on Monday when it was loading cargo in Kemi, Finland. Upon its arrival to Germany more activists blocked the entrance way to Lübeck harbour, forcing the ship to turn back to sea. Activists are protesting against the unsustainable way of acquiring timber by the cargo holder, paper and pulp giant Stora Enso.]]>
Early on Monday morning six Greenpeace inflatables together with swimmers and climbers surrounded a freight ship carrying paper from Stora Enso's mill in Kemi. The ship was scheduled to leave Veitsiluoto harbour for Germany, but due to the activists' resistance the ship was delayed until the evening. The police joint forces with the coast guard, customs and fire brigade to bring down the climbers and to arrest all boat crews, thereby allowing export of paper originating from the last remaining ancient forests in Europe.
Stora Enso was against buying timber from Sámi reindeer forests last spring when the company was contacted by Greenpeace. After the the state owned forestry enterprise Metsähallitus terminated negotiations with reindeer herders in June Stora Enso has however continued buying timber originating from the disputed area.
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