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Area of Amazon rainforest larger than Wales destroyed

For immediate release: 19th May 2005

New Amazon deforestation figures released by the Brazilian Government yesterday evening showed that 26,130 square kilometres of rainforest were wrecked between August 2003 and August 2004, an area larger than Wales. This is the highest level of deforestation in the past 10 years and is equivalent to six football fields destroyed every minute.

More than 70% of the loss occurred between May and July 2004, after the adoption of Brazilian President Lula's Action Plan to Curb Deforestation.

Paulo Adario of Greenpeace Amazon said: "Agribusiness and illegal logging are key culprits of deforestation. President Lula's government is facing a fundamental contradiction: to fight Amazon deforestation or to promote the expansion of agribusiness to pay the Brazilian external debt. To make a real difference on the ground, the Government needs to restrict soya plantations to areas already deforested, combat illegal logging, and effectively implement their own anti-deforestation plan.

"Lula's administration has clearly failed to protect the Amazon. Although there have been positive measures taken by the Government, such as the creation of protected areas and the demarcation of indigenous land, the fact that more than 23,000 square kilometres has been deforested every year for the last three years is totally unacceptable."

Pat Venditti of Greenpeace UK said: "Illegally logged timber products from the Amazon continue to make their way into the UK. The UK government should stop playing footsie with this criminal activity and implement legislation banning imports of these products."

For more information contact:
Greenpeace UK press office on 0207 865 8255
Paulo Adario, Greenpeace Amazon Campaign Coordinator on +55 92 81158928
Tica Minami, Greenpeace Amazon Media Officer on +55 92 9995 2070