28 Sep 2007

Greenpeace says making PNG wildlife zone will curtail logging

12:58 pm on 28 September 2007

Greenpeace says the initiative to declare a vast area of wetland, savannah and tropical forest in Papua New Guinea's south as a wildlife zone will prevent logging.

Local landowners, with support from the conservation group, the World Wildlife Fund and the government, are to protect the area south of the Fly River as a wildlife zone.

A Greenpeace spokesperson, Tiy Chung, says apart from other benefits, it will also prevent international logging companies from destroying the rainforest.

"Any initiative in Papua New Guinea to protect areas from exploitation is very good. PNG doesn't have many protected areas and large areas of PNG are under threat from logging and we would like to see some of those areas turned into protected areas as well."

Tiy Chung from Greenpeace.

Authorities hope the new wildlife areas will be expanded into Papua and be part of a 2 million hectare cross-border conservation area within two years.