13 more arrests at old-growth logging protest on Vancouver Island

Another 13 people have been arrested atanti-logging blockades on southwestern Vancouver Island, bringing the total of number of arrests to 185, at least nine of whom havebeen arrested more than once.

RCMP began enforcing a British Columbia court injunctionordering the removal of blockades aimed at preventing old-growthlogging on May 17.

Of those arrested Monday at an encampment area near Port Renfrew, B.C.,11 have been charged with breaching the injunction, and two with obstruction.

The injunction is to allow workers with the Teal-Jones Group toresume logging in that area and in the Fairy Creek watershed to the south.

Activists say very little of the best old-growth forest remainsin B.C., and Fairy Creek is the last unprotected, intact old-growth valley on southern Vancouver Island.

Teal-Jones hadplannedto harvest about 20 hectares at the north ridge of the 1,200-hectare watershed out of the 200 hectares available for harvest.

However, it said it wouldstand down its logging operations there after three First Nationsissued a declarationMonday saying they want old-growth logging in the areatemporarily deferred.