Day 073 - 13 Jan 95 - Page 14


     
     1
     2   Q.   If I just ask you about that, regarding the milling and
     3        bleaching processes, are you an expert on those kinds of
     4        matters?
     5        A.  I do not consider myself an expert on those matters.
     6
     7   Q.   The assessment, which I believe is a conclusion?
     8        A.  I will read out that out:  "Assessment:  Logging of
     9        native and old growth forests is currently the single most
    10        damaging factor affecting temperate forests.  Forest
    11        management could play a positive role, both in enhancing
    12        secondary forests and in providing alternatives to old
    13        growth logging.  Current management practices" -- sorry,
    14         "current management practice is doing the reverse and
    15        creating more problems and cautious improvements are
    16        urgently needed".
    17
    18   Q.   His assessment there; could you just elaborate on that, on
    19        whether it coincides with your view?
    20        A.  Yes. I agree absolutely that the most serious
    21        environmental problem -- there are a number of
    22        environmental problems -- but in order of seriousness
    23        logging of native and old growth forests is the most
    24        serious.  It is continuing; it is continuing in all those
    25        countries that McDonald's take paper from, and it often is
    26        continuing in countries such as Finland where they have
    27        maybe one or two per cent of old growth forest left.  They
    28        are stilling cutting into that old growth forest.  I make a
    29        point here actually.  The United Nations recommend that all
    30        countries maintain 15 per cent of their forest area in
    31        wilderness or park, natural forest area, virgin forest
    32        area.  You have situations like Finland where, in fact,
    33        they are down to one or two per cent of this area.
    34
    35        To a certain extent this is -- slight discrepancies have
    36        come about because of the focus of much of the public over
    37        the last number of years on profitable forest where there
    38        are still large forests -- they said 15 per cent.  I think
    39        when they said that they did not realise really that places
    40        like Finland are down to one or two per cent of their
    41        natural old growth forest anyway.  Finland is still logging
    42        into that forest and is doing it as I stand here today.
    43
    44   Q.   Just to go on to something we said before.  It is your view
    45        that plantation forestry is not a substitute for natural
    46        forest?
    47        A.  In terms of environmental and ecological values it is
    48        not a substitution; it is a totally different sort of thing
    49        than the old forest.
    50 
    51   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  While we are there, under "Paper and pulp 
    52        production" appear the words, "The world market for pulp"; 
    53        then a little later, "is now the major use of timber from
    54        intensively managed forests and plantations".  It might be
    55        thought not to be consistent with what Mr. Mallinson said
    56        about trees being felled for sawwood and other uses.  He
    57        was not saying that pulp did not contribute to the
    58        economics of the forestry, but he might have been thought
    59        to be saying that the trees are going to be felled anyway
    60        for other purposes and then from tops, trimmings and other

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