Posted on 22 August
2011
Auckland - An investigation
released today reveals that Auckland based
company Cottonsoft is sourcing its toilet
paper from rainforests in Indonesia, home
of the critically-endangered Sumatran tiger.
The evidence is the result of an eight-month
investigation by Greenpeace, the Green Party
and WWF-New Zealand into exactly where the
toilet paper sold by New Zealand retailers
originates from.
Cottonsoft refused to
disclose where they were sourcing their
toilet paper from so samples were sent to
a US laboratory for forensic testing. This
confirmed the presence of mixed tropical
hardwoods (timber that comes from rainforests)
in a range of Cottonsoft products.
Cottonsoft are a subsidiary of the notorious
conglomerate Asia Pulp and Paper (APP),
which has been dropped as a supplier by
major companies around the world, including
Kraft, Nestle, Unilever, Tesco and Carrefour
because of their reliance on rainforest
destruction to make pulp and paper products.
Greenpeace, the Green
Party and WWF-New Zealand are calling on
retailers to stop stocking Cottonsoft and
other APP Products until the company commits
to ending rainforest destruction. They are
also asking the public to use their consumer
power to force Cottonsoft products off the
shelves.
To help consumers find
‘rainforest friendly toilet paper’ a shoppers’
guide was released today.
Indonesia is now the biggest supplier of
imported toilet paper pulp to New Zealand,
supplying one in four toilets rolls sold
in New Zealand.
The destruction of Indonesia’s rainforests
is one of the main threats to the survival
of the critically endangered Sumatran tiger,
only 400 of which are estimated to remain
in the wild. It is also an increasing source
of conflict between tigers and humans.
Today Greenpeace New
Zealand released shocking footage of a Sumatran
tiger that was caught in a trap and later
died in an APP logging concession in Riau,
Indonesia.
Greenpeace campaigner Nathan Argent said,
“Many Kiwis would be shocked to know that
by using Cottonsoft toilet paper they could
literally be wiping out some of the world’s
most endangered species.”
“We’re asking customers to tell retailers
to stop selling toilet paper that has come
from trashed rainforests.”
“The rainforest and
its communities are already being destroyed
by illegal logging. Trashing rainforests
to make toilet paper is simply obscene”,
said Green Party forestry spokesperson Catherine
Delahunty.
WWF-New Zealand’s Executive Director Chris
Howe said, “Many New Zealanders will want
to make sure their shopping choices are
not harming forests and wildlife in Indonesia.
We encourage people to help ensure the forest
homes of endangered tigers and orangutans
remain in tact by using the consumer guide
to make the right choice at the checkout.”
Indonesia has one of the fastest rates of
forest destruction in the world. The Indonesian
government estimates that more than one
million hectares of rainforest are being
cleared every year. Rainforest destruction
is also acknowledged as a major driver of
climate change.
+ More
Urgent action needed
to avoid extinction of Mekong dolphins
Posted on 17 August
2011
The critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin
population in the Mekong River numbers just
85, WWF research has revealed. Calf survival
was found to be very low, leading researchers
to conclude that the small population is
declining and at high risk of extinction.
Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris)
inhabit a 190km stretch of the mainstream
Mekong River between Kratie, Cambodia and
Khone Falls on the border with Lao PDR.
According to Dr Li Lifeng, Director of WWF’s
Freshwater Programme, the research is based
on photographic identification of dolphins
through individually unique features of
their dorsal fins. “Most of the dolphins
can be identified, and we use that information
to estimate the population size.”
Although this population estimate is slightly
higher than the previous estimate, the researchers
were quick to note that the population had
not increased over the last few years.
“With a larger dataset and recent analytical
advances, previously unidentifiable dolphins
which had few marks on their dorsal fins
have been included,” Dr Li said.
However, surveys conducted from 2007 to
2010 show the population slowly declining.
“Evidence is strong that very few young
animals survive to adulthood, as older dolphins
die off and are not replaced,” Dr Li explained.
The population is ranked as critically endangered
on the IUCN Red List, the highest international
threat ranking for endangered species, and
Irrawaddy dolphins are fully protected under
the highest level of Fishery Law in Cambodia
and Lao PDR. Dolphins in the Mekong continue
to be threatened by gill net entanglement
and the causes of calf mortality remain
unclear.
“This tiny population
is at high risk by its small size alone.
With the added pressures of gill net entanglement
and high calf mortality we are really worried
for the future of dolphins,” Dr Li said.
The research also indicates that the small
population resident in the transboundary
pool on the Cambodia – Lao PDR border may
number as few as 7-8 individuals. This is
the only area in Lao PDR where dolphins
remain. WWF is working to coordinate transboundary
management with government agencies and
local communities in Cambodia and Lao PDR
at this most critical dolphin site.
“Our best chance of saving this iconic species
from extinction in the Mekong River is through
joint conservation action,” Dr Li said.
“WWF is committed to working with the Fisheries
Administration, the Dolphin Commission,
and communities all along the river to reverse
the decline and ensure the survival of this
beautiful species in the Mekong.”
WWF is asking the government
of Cambodia to establish a clear legislative
framework to protect dolphins in Cambodia.
This should include the designation of dolphin
conservation zones and should allow a ban
or limit on the use of gillnets where needed.
Doing so will require formalizing special
legislation to protect dolphins or amendments
to existing Fishery Law.
Mekong Dolphin Conservation in Cambodia
WWF is implementing the Cambodian Mekong
Dolphin Conservation Project in collaboration
with the Fisheries Administration and the
Cambodian Rural Development Team. The project
conducts research on the dolphin population
and causes of mortality, environmental education,
and alternative livelihood development for
local communities in dolphin habitat areas.
Each year, the Cambodian Mekong Dolphin
Conservation Project conducts at least two
population surveys of Irrawaddy dolphins
in the Mekong River. The current population
estimate is based on 11 surveys from 2007-2010,
usually conducted in March to May when dolphins
congregate around deep pool areas in the
low water.
The Irrawaddy dolphin is regarded as a sacred
animal by both Khmer and Lao people, and
is an important source of income and jobs
for communities involved in dolphin-watching
ecotourism initiatives.
Irrawaddy dolphins are found in coastal
areas in South and Southeast Asia, and in
3 rivers, the Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the
Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong.
All riverine populations are red-listed
by the IUCN as critically endangered, and
the species in general is listed as vulnerable.
