In many fragile rainforests this figure is as high as 97 per cent. This process destroys the entire ecosystem of immense areas, at times more than 100 hectares of land. The Japanese government recently made a historic announcement by stating that they are going to eliminate illegal logging by setting rules at the importing side. In 1996, the countries which now make up the G8, along with all the rest of the EU countries, were responsible for 74 per cent of the world's imports of wood and wood products, accounting for almost 280 million of the 376 million cubic metres of wood products imported globally that year. Clearly, these powerful importing countries are of profound significance in terms of driving demand for wood production throughout the world.
Japan plays a big role in world wood products trade.
It imported 73 million cubic metres of wood products in 1998, a substantial part of this from British Columbia's last coastal rainforests. The Japanese government's decision can have a significant impact in stopping illegal and destructive logging in the world's last remaining ancient forests. Greenpeace has launched an international cyber-campaign, calling on volunteers to help track down forest products that have been logged in the Great Bear Rainforest on Canada's West Coast.