Gerry Georgatos
A Forest Rescue Australia (FRA) activist halted logging in Warrup after he constructed a "spider's web" between two trees that blocked an access way for logging vehicles into Warrup coupe 06.
Sean Gransch built a makeshift "spider's web" between the two trees in the early morning hours of Tuesday April 23. At 4am in the morning he climbed the platform in the middle of the "web" and stayed there for the day. The platform dangled about 15 metres above the access way.
Bridgetown police arrived around 9am however they could do little till a special response group arrived much later however neither they could do anything. In the meantime according to the FRA logging was halted and Mr Gransch endured a cold night in his vigil to save the numbats.
He stayed up for nearly two days, however he did not have adequate supplies and the police prohibited other FRA activists from coming into the area. Bunbury-based South West District Inspector Geoff Stewart said the FRA statements that logging activity had been halted were inaccurate and that indeed logging activity continued despite the action by Mr Gransch.
Inspector Stewart confirmed that Mr Gransch did not have access to water and supplies and that the police offered him "a meal" if he came down. Nearly two days later Mr Gransch came down because he was without water he said, and that this would become dangerous on a small perch. Inspector Stewart confirmed that a police officer cooked Mr Gransch a meal at Bunbury police station.
37 year old Mr Gransch said his elaborate "web" served to protect the largest intact colony of numbats known to exist. The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) refute that the numbats are in harm's way, and they refute the numbat colony is in any of the section of the coupe being logged.
FRA spokesman Simon Peterffy said it was the first time the "web" had been used in Warrup, and he said the structure is designed in such a way that if anyone tried to cut the ropes the platform would tip its occupant off and to grievous injuries. Mr Peterffy said the "web" had been used effectively in anti-logging protests in Tasmania. Mr Gransch is a rigger by trade and can quickly construct these "webs".
Mr Peterffy said it is ironic that the state government is allowing for the numbat to near extinction especially when the numbat is on the state emblem. "In the last two centuries, Australia has had more species made extinct than anywhere else in the world. Western Australia is leading species extinctions with its rapacious destruction of habitats."
"As Warrup is the largest intact colony of numbats it should be protected from logging and habitat destruction. What government agencies and their contractors are doing in Warrup is ecocide," said Mr Peterffy.
"It makes no sense to make extinct the last 1,000 or so numbats."
According to Mr Peteffy, for the last three months, FRA activists dedicated themselves to living in Warrup in an attempt to stop logging and save as many numbats as they can.
Inspector Stewart said that some reports claiming that the FRA were halting logging on a daily basis were inaccurate. He said he understood the purpose of these reports however they were false. He said that this latest action was the first one in "about three weeks" in Warrup.
Mr Gransch said, "We will do the right thing for as long as it takes to save these creatures till those who are doing the wrong thing realise that in fact they are doing wrong."
Comments
No excuse for committing Ecocide!
The battle for Warrup forest continues! The Forest Products Commission and WA government are committing ECOCIDE by logging threatened species habitat.
Current logging of WA's native forest is NOT sustainable as:
* The current Forest Management Plan counts on the fact that there are special Federal exemptions, outdated (1950's) state protective legislation and no enforcement or punishment as a result of proven breaches of the FMP. Native forest logging in WA is a law unto itself. If the same laws that apply to everyone else were applied to native forest logging, it would be illegal to log the forest.
* Continued logging of the habitat of 8 different species of threatened animals is Ecocide - http://www.thisisecocide.com/
* With the slow growth rates of native forest trees, current logging is probably at least 30 to 40 years ahead of schedule and especially so with the slower growth rates that result from a 25% reduction in rainfall since the 1970's in WA, due to Human-Induced Climate Change.
I recall listening to Dr. Ron Johnstone, curator of Ornithology at the WA Museum, at a recent presentation. He definitely said the logging was impacting on available breeding and feeding trees for all three species of Black Cockatoo and that the two that are currently listed as Vulnerable - Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo and Baudin's Black Cockatoo - should be upgraded to Endangered in the overall category of 'Threatened' where there are three different levels.
Three other species of threatened animals who inhabit the forest have been officially moved up a level within the category of Threatened since the current Forest Management Plan began in 2001, which is a no-no, even under the current FMP. The WA state govt. and FPC have ignored this completely.
Even the Black Cockatoo Recovery plan (required under federal legislation for threatened species) lists logging as a principal threat to the cockatoos, however the logging industry is exempt from Commonwealth laws to protect threatened species! If the logging industry was really not having an impact then the FPC and loggers would not need the exemption.
The fact that the logging industry and WA Government refuse to make this destructive industry subject to the same laws that apply to everyone else is a disgrace.
Re: Warrup forest logging halted as FRA protestor, like ...
Harvesting of Warrup continued all day. These efforts had no effect on log production.
The efforts of spiderman only wasted police time, stopping them from doing useful work in the community and will soon waste court time when doubtless there will be considerable fine for the illegal act of disrupting traffic.
And all for nothing...all species remain intact...hurray!!!!
The West Australian
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/13501378/spiders-web-used-in-log...
Protestor's spider web stops logging in Warrup
Gerry Georgatos
A Forest Rescue Australia (FRA) activist halted logging in Warrup after he constructed a "spider's web" between two trees that blocked an access way for logging vehicles into Warrup coupe 06.
Sean Gransch built a makeshift "spider's web" between the two trees in the early morning hours of Tuesday April 23. At 4am in the morning he climbed the platform in the middle of the "web" and stayed there for the day. The platform dangled about 15 metres above the access way.
Bridgetown police arrived around 9am however they could do little till a special response group arrived much later however neither they could do anything. In the meantime logging was halted. Mr Gransch endured a cold night in his vigil to save the numbats.
37 year old Mr Gransch said his elaborate "web" served to protect the largest intact colony of numbats known to exist. The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) refute that the numbats are in harm's way, and they refute the numbat colony is in any of the section of the coupe being logged.
FRA spokesman Simon Peterffy said it was the first time the "web" had been used in Warrup, and he said the structure is designed in such a way that if anyone tried to cut the ropes the platform would tip its occupant off and to grievous injuries. Mr Peterffy said the "web" had been used effectively in anti-logging protests in Tasmania. Mr Gransch is a rigger by trade and can quickly construct these "webs".
Mr Peterffy said it is ironic that the state government is allowing for the numbat to near extinction especially when the numbat is on the state emblem. "In the last two centuries, Australia has had more species made extinct than anywhere else in the world. Western Australia is leading species extinctions with its rapacious destruction of habitats."
"As Warrup is the largest intact colony of numbats it should be protected from logging and habitat destruction. What government agencies and their contractors are doing in Warrup is ecocide," said Mr Peterffy.
"It makes no sense to make extinct the last 1,000 or so numbats."
According to Mr Peteffy, for the last three months, FRA activists dedicated themselves to living in Warrup in an attempt to stop logging and save as many numbats as they can.
Mr Gransch has supplies attached to the platform to help him last for weeks.
Mr Gransch said, "We will do the right thing for as long as it takes to save these creatures till those who are doing the wrong thing realise that in fact they are doing wrong."
Logging no threat to biodiversity
Contrary to the claims by FRA people and some others, sustainable timber harvesting as practiced in our south west native forests does not adversely affect our numbats or any other species of animal or plant.
This has been proven by extensive monitoring by forest scientists.
The threats to numbats and biodiversity generally are well known by clear thinking people. They are permanent clearing for agriculture, infrastructure, housing, etc; feral predators such as the fox and cat; and quite likely the threats imposed by a drying climate.
Crazy acts by FRA, such as this latest one with ropes, does nothing to help numbats. All they do is waste the time of police officers and others, and polarise communities.
Loggers won't stop their work, and why should they? They are producing renewable products we all need and use.
FRA, try to find something useful to do.