Blogposts tagged 'Norway'

Historic Indonesian forest protection deal at risk from industry

Posted by jamie - 23 November 2010 at 11:36am - 1 Comment

Plantations, like this eucalyptus one in Sumatra, are gradually replacing Indonesia's rainforests (c) Beltra/Greenpeace

Laura Kenyon from our Making Waves blog explains how money intended to protect forests could actually encourage deforestation.

Norway and Indonesia are about to make history. A US$1bn forest protection deal between these two countries could help set Indonesia on a low-carbon development pathway and become a positive model for the rest of the world. It could clearly demonstrate that lowering carbon emissions to address climate change does not mean sacrificing economic growth and prosperity. What's more, this prosperous low-carbon development does not need to come at the expense of Indonesia's natural forests and peatlands.

But this deal is at risk. Today we released a report - Protection Money - which outlines how the deal is in danger of being undermined, unless action is taken to protect it from notorious industrial forest destroyers in the palm oil, paper and pulp sectors.  There is a potential that international money intended for the protection of Indonesia's forests and peatlands could end up being used to support their destruction.

Article tagged as: climate change, indonesia, moratorium, norway, palm oil, paper, pulp and paper, rainforests, REDD

Bad week in business for Sinar Mas

Posted by jamie - 25 August 2010 at 5:18pm - 0 Comments

More of Sinar Mas's handiwork, this time in an area known to support endangered Sumatran tigers 

There's been a not insignificant amount of fallout from the implosion of Sinar Mas's audit last week. You'll remember that the independent auditors demanded public clarification on some statements made by Sinar Mas about the results of said audit which were not, in fact, supported by the audit itself.

First of all (and this might be a complete coincidence), shares for Golden Agri Resources (Gar) - one of the Sinar Mas group's palm oil producers - fell by over 6 per cent between 19 and 23 August. PT Smart, another palm oil arm, dropped by nearly 3 per cent.

Article tagged as: forests, golden agri resources, indonesia, norway, palm oil, rainforests, sinar mas

Scotland, Norway, EU, Iceland and Faroes square up in mackerel smackdown

Posted by Willie - 20 August 2010 at 7:35pm - 0 Comments

It's a confusing time in the north Atlantic with an international controversy brewing over the humble mackerel. Some are comparing it to last century's 'cod wars', when the UK and Iceland went to battle over access to cod fishing.

Mackerel, an exquisitely beautiful fish related to the tunas, is relatively plentiful, occurs in big shoals, and can be caught quite 'cleanly' by seine nets or handlines. For these reasons (as well as the health benefits of it being an oily fish), it has become a firm favourite for those seeking a sustainable option.

Article tagged as: EU, faroe islands, fish, fishing quotas, iceland, mackerel, norway, oceans, scotland

Failed whales: status quo remains at IWC

Posted by jamie - 24 June 2010 at 11:45am - 0 Comments

Karli Thomas, Greenpeace oceans campaigner, writes from the IWC meeting in Morocco.

The town of Sidi R'bat on Morocco's Atlantic coast is where the biblical Jonah is said to have been vomited up by a whale. Less than 100km from that spot, something has been going on this week that is again enough to make a whale sick to the stomach.

The International Whaling Commission has been meeting this year beneath a dark cloud of scandal. As delegates descended on the city of Agadir, media headlines exposed Japan 'buying' countries to vote with them - including the accusation that airfares and accommodation for this meeting's acting chairman were paid by Japan. Hardly an auspicious start to a crucial international meeting, nor a good omen for the whales.

Article tagged as: iceland, IWC, japan, norway, oceans, whales, whaling

$4bn fund to protect Indonesia's forests while president announces partial halt to deforestation

Posted by jamie - 27 May 2010 at 3:48pm - 2 Comments

Building dams at a Greenpeace camp in Sumatra. International funds and a moratorium would make this a thing of the past

While our campaign to stop HSBC investing in deforestation continues, events have been quickening at the political end. Money and a moratorium have been promised for Indonesia today, both of which are desperately needed to help safeguard the country's forests from further devastation.

Article tagged as: forests, indonesia, moratorium, norway, REDD, sinar mas

Whaling: an indecent proposal

Posted by Willie - 25 April 2010 at 9:59am - 0 Comments

If you’ve seen the media reports on whales over the past couple of weeks, you could be forgiven for thinking that there had been some sort of historical deal done. A deal that seems to be being spun as a way to save whales, by allowing some to be hunted. Media spin aside, we’ve been keen to see the detail of what is going to be on the table for our governments at the upcoming International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in June.

Yesterday, at last, the speculation ended when the IWC published the details of a proposal on their website. The proposal is just that, a proposal. Not a deal, and certainly not a done deal. So please, view the over-effusive headlines with some care.

Article tagged as: CITES, fin whale, iceland, IWC, japan, norway, Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, whaling

IWC 2009 - whale conservation bloc not playing its hand

Posted by jossc - 24 June 2009 at 2:02pm - 2 Comments

Sara Holden, our International whales campaign coordinator, blogs from the 61st International Whaling Conference in Madeira, Portugal. Even though for the first time in years the anti-whaling nations have a decent majority on the IWC, genuine protection for whales still remains low on the agenda.

As metaphors go, how about this? The IWC meeting is being held in a casino - and anyone betting on a good outcome for the whales would be unlikely to win. Equally aprt, just a few minutes before the opening of the 61st International Whaling Commission meeting, a large rat was seen scuttling through the hotel and out the door. Not a bad illustration of what's going on here.

Article tagged as: cetaceans, iceland, IWC, japan, norway, oceans, whale sanctuaries, whales, whaling

Corals in deep trouble

Posted by Willie - 24 March 2009 at 11:28am - 0 Comments

Rainbow Warrior documenting cold coral formations off the Norwegian coast, March 2009

Rainbow Warrior documenting cold coral formations off the Norwegian coast

To most people, the word 'coral' conjures up images of clear, shallow tropical seas, glistening white sandy beaches beneath a blazing sun, and an array of colourful fish that would resemble the cast of Finding Nemo. Sun-drenched places like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia immediately spring to mind.

Article tagged as: coral reefs, EU fisheries, norway, rainbow warrior

Not quite the cod wars

Posted by Willie - 8 December 2008 at 6:02pm - 0 Comments

The Norwegian coastguard captured this footage of the Prolific discarding up to 80% of its catch of endangered fish

Norwegian coastguards filmed this UK trawler discarding 80% of its catch of endangered fish just outside Norwegian waters earlier this year

Every year the EU and Norway get together to agree how to share out fishing quotas in their adjacent waters (remember, Norway is not a member of the EU, and has it's own exclusive fishing zone, unlike EU countries). They are gathering this week, and it always happens before the annual quota-haggling meeting of the EU Council in Brussels, where the EU decide and divide on quotas for fish in EU waters.

Usually they do their best to ignore scientific advice, and amazingly all of the fisheries ministers seem to manage to go back home claiming to have won a 'good deal' for their respective fishing industries.

Article tagged as: common fisheries policy, discards, EU, norway, quota

World's whales and dolphins may face growing sonic threat

Posted by Willie - 12 June 2008 at 2:06pm - 2 Comments

A dead dolphin - the victim of bycatch - lying on a beach

In Chile, the world's scientists are already meeting in advance of the 60th International Whaling Commission (IWC), which will be held there in late June. At this time of year, the eyes of the world turn to the deadlocked struggle between pro-conservation and pro-whaling countries as they clash over the future of whaling at the IWC meetings. And recent events have not been going well for the whalers - in recent weeks we have seen just how desperate the pro-whaling nations are to play down not only the recent scandal of stolen whale meat in Japan, but also the saga of exporting whale meat from Iceland and Norway. Both stories highlight the extent to which the whalers are routinely flouting not only international opinion but also the global ban on commercial whaling and the trading of whale meat.

Article tagged as: cetaceans, chile, cornwall, dolphins, iceland, IWC, japan, madagascar, norway, oceans, whales
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