CALLS FOR GMO BAN GROWING IN MEXICO. Following the discovery of transgenic components in Mexican native corn varieties (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 6 December 2001), the Mexican Congress unanimously called on President Vicente Fox to ban the importation of GM corn, claiming that it would threaten the genetic integrity of the country’s crops and food supply. The calls were echoed by Mexican environmental and farm organisations in a petition presented to the Federal Attorney for Protection of the Environment. In the document, the organisations hold the secretaries of Agriculture, Environment and Economy, and the Intersecretarial Commission for Biosafety and GMOs (Cibiogem) responsible for the contamination of native corn varieties, demanding an import ban on transgenic corn from the US, and a suspension of releasing these products in Mexico until an adequate legislative framework is in place.
"Mexican Congress to Fox: ‘Ban GM corn’," THE NEWS MEXICO, 6 December 2001; ICTSD Internal Files.
BRAZIL COMBATS ILLEGAL MAHOGANY TRADE. The Brazilian government on 6 December announced a decree to protect all remaining mahogany trees in three states against of illegal logging, making certification mandatory for all management plans, which surround Indian lands and conservation areas. The magnitude of the illegal logging activities of mahogany trees in the Amazon became public after Greenpeace submitted a report to the federal prosecutor and the environmental, which revealed illegal practices in the mahogany industry and in the international timber trade authorities (available online). As a result of the report, the Brazilian authorities undertook several investigations and inspections of illegal logging, forest management plans and saw mills. These investigations eventually led to the new decree, which according to Paul Adario from Greenpeace "sends a clear message to the Amazon logging sector and the market place, that they stop illegal logging and go to certification or they are out of business".
"Brazil Cracks Down on the Illegal Mahogany Trade," ENS, 14 December 2001.
INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE. During the 2nd International Marine Ornamentals Conference in Orlando, Florida the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) launched a new certification system for the marine aquarium trade. The certification system, which conforms to WTO standards, was developed through an international process involving conservation groups, the industry, hobbyists, public aquariums and government agencies. The certification system enables consumers and the marine industry to identify certified facilities and organisms of the marine trade. The key goal for the certification is to put an end to unsustainable collecting practices and enhance the preservation of the marine environment. At the same time the new certification system will ensure economic stability of collectors and is considered to be a win-win solution for the entire supply chain, including coastal communities and the marine industry, as well as provides consumers with the possibility to get a healthy product.
"International Certification System for Marine Aquarium Trade Aims to Protect Coral Reefs, Ensure Quality of Fish and other Organisms" MAC, 3 December 2001.