Two environmental activists, Anthony Houston, 73, and Ali Alishah, 40, were arrested this morning during a protest in a Tasmanian forest. The demonstration, organised by the Bob Brown Foundation, aimed to halt logging operations in native forests and called for the eviction of logging machinery rather than “forest defenders.”
The protest took place in forests on the western side of the Kunanyi / Mount Wellington park, adjacent to the Russell River conservation area.
These high-altitude forests, at 700m, are home to ancient, hollow-bearing eucalypts vital for endangered Masked Owls, eagles, and critically endangered Swift Parrots.
Ali Alishah, who stated he breached the terms of a suspended sentence for previous forest defence actions, expressed solidarity with Palawa activists and Anthony Houston.
“We must move to a system of forest management built on protecting, restoring and securing the biodiversity and carbon stores of Lutruwitta / Tasmania’s native forests, and the ecological services they provide,” Alishah said.
Jenny Weber, Campaigns Manager for the Bob Brown Foundation, criticised Ta Ann, a logging company from Malaysian Borneo.
“Ta Ann is a customer of conflict-source logs from these precious yellow-gum forests, endangered wildlife habitat and carbon-rich forests across the island,” Weber stated.
“For twenty years, this controversial company has been receiving timber from the large-scale destruction of vast areas of Tasmania’s native forests, including endangered species habitat, and it must end.”
Tasmanian Times (TT) is a community-based news and current affairs service covering the island state of Tasmania. It exists to provide a diverse view of Tasmanian issues. TT creates and supports independent media content utilising the best of modern technologies and tried-and-true practices of public-interest journalism.
Support us in expanding our coverage and developing new content by and for Tasmanians.
New initiatives on the way include:
- a weekly podcast covering current affairs
- a revamped website
- a monthly cartoon competition
- a user-friendly app for both Android and Apple devices
- a weekly roundup of key stories
