Forest companies are clear-cutting ancient old-growth forests in Sweden!
Three of four parties of the new Swedish conservative government want to delay the work with protection of threatened forests with high value for the biodiversity. This in a situation when only 5 percent of the productive forests in the country (outside the mountain forests) is ancient old-growth forest and only 1,5 percent is protected through permanent protection by law in nature reservations and nature parks.
As a contrast scientists say that 10-20 percent of the Swedish forest (outside the mountain forests) have to be saved and restored to preserve the biological diversity. 1605 forest species in Sweden are today threatened by forestry. The future for the remaining ancient old-growth forests of the country is unsafe, and the threat to one of Europe’s last wild taiga-forests is increasing due to lack of political will and due to broken promises. The big forest companies do not live up to their agreements. Nature-preservers in the country plead to the countries who import forest products from Sweden to put pressure on the forest industry and the Swedish government to stop the destruction of the last primeval forests.
Many of the Swedish forest companies are certified by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) but researches made by Swedish NGO:s show that major violations against the FSC standard are made by the companies. For example both the big forest companies HOLMEN SKOG and state owned SVEASKOG are clear-cutting ancient old-growth forests and other forests with high value for the biodiversity. The forest companies that are certified by FSC in Sweden are to save at least 5 percent of their total productive forest areas for nature conservation, but, according to recent research 1/4 – 1/3 of these set aside areas don’t have high nature values. Instead, the forest companies are saving low productive forests with almost no biodiversity, this at the same time as they are clear-felling forests which are hundreds of years old with great importance for the biodiversity.
The Swedish NGO:s, are deeply concerned of the situation, this because of the fact that 95 percent of the country’s forest are industry forest and clear-cut areas, only 5 percent are still nature forest. The forestry with clear-cuts, poisons and nitrogen fertilization etc. impoverishes the forest landscape. If nothing is done now to save the forests, then there will soon be no nature forest left outside of the 1.5 percent which have a permanent protection from forestry. This would be a great loss for biodiversity in the taiga and for the people of Sweden.
/Skydda skogen