Eucalyptus shipped from Mozambique to Portugal
Mozambican and Portuguese environmental groups, backed by international coalitions, have stated their "strong criticism" of the first shipment of eucalyptus unloaded in Aveiro from Mozambique.
According to the environmental group Quercus, the wood comes from eucalyptus plantations operated by Portucel Mozambique, a subsidiary of Navigator, and will be used in pulp and paper factories in Portugal. A further two shipments are expected this year, with a total of 100,000m3 of wood, the environmental organisation said.
Portucel Mozambique operates a concession of 356,000 hectares of land in the provinces of Manica and Zambézia, in central Mozambique, where it is introducing eucalyptus plantations. The area is over three times the area that The Navigator Company controls in Portugal, and so far only 13,500 hectares have been planted, according to a statement from Quercus.