Timber protest halts museum work

Activists scaled the building and unfurled a protest banner

Work has been suspended on the multi-million pound makeover of Glasgow's Kelvingrove Museum after Greenpeace protesters occupied the building.

Activists arrived at the site at about 0800 BST on Monday to protest against the kind of timber being used to renovate the flooring.

They claim the wood used comes from endangered rainforest stock.

Local council chiefs have called a halt to work until this can be investigated as it goes against its existing policy.

Under threat

The environmental campaigners claim the merbau timber being used by the council comes from rainforests in south east Asia where several animal species are under threat.

After entering the site they removed packs of the material because they said documentation regarding its original source did not exist.

They replaced the wood with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified packs of hardwood which are guaranteed to come from sustainable sources.

We will work with Greenpeace to ensure that the timber will meet the FSC standards as laid down in both our policy and this specification Mark O'Neill Head of Glasgow Museums

Some of protesters scaled the building and unfurled a banner reading: "National Lottery: Funding Rainforest Destruction" as the £27m refurbishment is mainly being funded by the body.

After Glasgow City Council agreed to suspend the flooring contract the Greenpeace members voluntarily left the building site.

Mark O'Neill, head of Glasgow Museums, said: "Glasgow City Council has a policy of using only sustainable wood within all new and refurbished buildings.

"The specifications we issued for Kelvingrove clearly stated this.

"Our contractors, HBG, also have a similar policy.

"As far as both the contractors and ourselves are aware, all of the timber being used met the terms of this policy.

Work suspended

"Greenpeace have advised us of their concerns that this may not be the case.

"We have therefore decided to suspend the installation of this particular area of the timber floor for the time being while we look into the matter further.

"We will work with Greenpeace to ensure that the timber will meet the FSC standards as laid down in both our policy and this specification."

He added that Greenpeace had accepted that both the council and its contractor had tried to ensure the wood was from sustainable sources but that the supporting papers supplied by suppliers were not complete.

We are delighted Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has agreed to suspend the contract for flooring after endangered rainforest timber was found on the site Belinda Fletcher Greenpeace

The museum closed in June last year to undergo the refurbishment programme and is expected to reopen in February 2006.

Greenpeace forests campaigner Belinda Fletcher said: "We are delighted Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has agreed to suspend the contract for flooring after endangered rainforest timber was found on the site.

"We will be working closely with Kelvingrove to ensure the rest of the timber used comes from legal and sustainable sources such as that certified by the FSC."

"If we don't want to confine the world's rainforests to history it's essential that all National Lottery funded projects in the UK insist on the use of FSC timber, like the timber Greenpeace brought here today."

Strathclyde Police officers were called to the scene but no arrests were made as they said the protest had remained peaceful throughout.

Fishing row

Meanwhile, fishing leaders in Scotland have claimed a number of vessels in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea were illegally boarded by Greenpeace activists.

Mike Park, of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association, said the environmental campaigners were disrupting fishing in pursuit of a ban to protect stocks.

He described the protest as modern day piracy and urged the Norwegian authorities to take action.

Speaking from aboard the campaign ship Esperanza, a Greenpeace spokeswoman denied the accusation.

She said they boarded a fishing vessel at the invitation of the skipper to explain their campaign to urge fishermen to preserve dwindling stocks.

Their action in no way jeopardised safety and they will continue to contact other vessels with what they insist is a peaceful campaign, she added.