SURROUNDED BY JAPANESE POLICE AND COAST GUARD GREENPEACE INFLATABLES PROTEST BENEATH KITES FROM THE MV ARCTIC SUNRISE
The South Korean Government has called on the Japanese
Government not to make a shipment of rejected plutonium MOX through
the narrow straits between Japan and Korea. The armed British ship,
Pacific Pintail left the nuclear port of Takahama at 15:35 hours
today.
The Pacific Pintail was escorted out of the bay at Takahama by
38 Japanese coast guard vessels, ranging from large armed coast
guard ships to small police inflatables that separated the massive
nuclear freighter from the Greenpeace ship, the MV Arctic Sunrise.
Seven helicopters flew overhead witnessing the departure of the
PNTL vessel as it started its disgraced 18,000 miles journey back
to England.
The Japanese coast guard vessels will continue to keep the
Pintail under heavy guard until it meets up with its armed escort
ship the Pacific Teal in the Sea of Japan outside Japanese
territorial waters. The MV Arctic Sunrise will track the Pintail
and Teal into the Sea of Japan to determine whether it defies
Korean opposition and heads south passing through the Straits
towards the East China Sea or whether it heads north to use the
Tsugaru Straits in Northern Japan.
In addition to the statement from the Korean Government,
environmental activists protested earlier today in Seoul against
the shipment and the threat it poses to the environment of the
Korean peninsula.
"This shipment has ignited opposition from East Asia to the
South Pacific. It will only intensify as the two nuclear ships move
through the vulnerable environment of the Pacific. If the South
Pacific route is chosen, the Pintail and Teal should at the very
minimum avoid violating the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ)
of all of the South Pacific nations as called for by so many of the
nations," said Tom Clements on board the MV Arctic Sunrise.
Earlier today two transport casks were loaded into the cargo
hold of the Pintail. One cask is loaded with the rejected plutonium
MOX, produced by British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL). The MOX was shipped
to Japan in 1999, also on board the Pintail, but following
revelations that BNFL had deliberately falsified vital safety data,
the owners of the MOX, Kansai Electric and the Japanese Government
demanded that it be shipped back to the UK.
BNFL has set aside nearly US$200 million in compensation to
Japan and to cover nuclear transport costs for this shipment. In
the UK also today, BNFL is expected to announce further losses in
their latest annual accounts. BNFL informed the UK Government in
late 2001 that they were technically bankrupt.
BNFL hopes that with the return of the falsified and rejected
MOX fuel that they will secure multi-million contracts with
Japanese utilities for MOX fuel. However, the Japanese plutonium
program is in disarray with opposition in all of the regions of
Japan where MOX is planned to be used.
"Yet again, BNFL have shown their true colours by putting this
shameful shipment out into the world's oceans; showing utter
disregard for not only the environment and the millions of people
on its journey back to the UK, but also to the World's Governments,
who have clearly stated their deep concerns over this shipment.
Greenpeace will continue to pursue its Judicial Review of the UK
Environment Agency's decision" stated Shaun Burnie, Greenpeace
Nuclear Campaigner.
"If the UK and Japanese Governments are not going to do anything
to stop this shipment, then it is up to ordinary people like
ourselves to sail 200 miles out to sea to object. Whichever route
these nuclear freighters take, they can be rest assured that the
Nuclear Free Seas Flotillas will be there to protest. We and our
families are ready to depart." said Dennis Johnson who will sail
out into the Tasman Sea on his boat "Joie", as part of the Pacific
Flotilla.
Detailed maps of potential routes from Japan to the UK are
available at www.greenpeace.org
VVPR info: Photographs are available from John Novis, Greenpeace International Photo Desk +31 65 381 9121 Video is available from Mim Lowe, Greenpeace International Video Desk +31 20 5249 543