PORT MORESBY (AFP) — Greenpeace said Thursday that its activists had boarded a logging ship in Papua New Guinea to stop it exporting timber to China, in a move labelled a smear campaign by the company involved.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific said four activists climbed on a loading crane aboard the ship Harbour Gemini at Paia Inlet on PNG's southwest coast to stop logs being loaded.
Greenpeace argues the ship is being operated by Malaysian-owned logging company Rimbunan Hijau, which it accuses of breaking PNG's forestry laws.
"We need to urgently protect these ancient forests to save our climate," Greenpeace campaigner Sam Moko said in a statement.
"Greenpeace is asking the Papua New Guinea government to establish a moratorium on any new large-scale logging concessions or extensions."
Rimbunan Hijau dismissed the allegations, saying it was not involved in illegal logging and had no involvement with the company that operates the Harbour Gemini.
"All the timber exported by Rimbunan Hijau is legal... no single law has been broken," Rimbunan Hijau manager of corporate policy Axel Wilhelm said in a statement.
"Claims that the ship and timber concession belong to Rimbunan Hijau are also false. The concession and vessel have no relationship with the company."
"Greenpeace has been attacking us with groundless smear campaigns like this for years," Wilhelm added.
The activists travelled to PNG on the Greenpeace vessel Esperanza, which was involved in a campaign against Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean early this year.
Greenpeace said the PNG government had a poor forest management record, including accusations of corruption and misappropriation of funds. It said PNG locals wanted an investigation into the logging industry.
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