A recent judicial degree by a Cameroon court declared the planned deforestation of 30.000 hectares of rainforest close to the Korup National Park illegal. The judges stopped the activities of US investor Herakles Capital and followed the arguments of an environmetal lawyer.
The judicial success is the result of an alliance of environmental organizations, that took much effort in protecting the rainforest by globally collecting signatures and raising funds to organize the court hearing. Also, the German Bundestag took up the issue.
Herakles Capital was planning to sell the trees and create large-scale palmoil plantations. That would have caused enormous problems: the species-rich rainforest close to the Korup National Park fulfills important ecological aspects. It serves not only as a habitat for different kinds of apes as well as forest elephants but also forms an important biological corridor connecting two different conservation areas. In case of ist loss, genetic interexchange will not be possible anymore.
The grounds of the court decision were based on missing environmental studies that Herakles Capital did not turn in. Therefore, the court could not decide that environmental requirements were matched. In October, the court will finally decide on the future of 30.000 hectares of species-rich rainforest.
Rainforest Rescue (Rettet den Regenwald) has collected and handed over 18.000 signatures and has also supported the lawsuit financially.