Press release - April 26, 2011
29 April 2011 - Tauranga: The flotilla of boats opposing deep sea oil exploration off East Cape sailed into Tauranga this morning to support their fellow skipper Elvis Teddy, of te Wha-nau a- Apanui fishing vessel San Pietro. Elvis Teddy was arrested over the weekend after he and crew members, including tribal leader Rikirangi Gage, went fishing in front of the oil survey ship Orient Explorer (1).
Elvis Teddy is currently on bail to appear in the Tauranga District Court at 8.30am on Friday morning.
Rough weather conditions also means the flotilla needs to take shelter after three weeks of opposing the deep sea oil exploration programme of Brazilian oil giant Petrobras in the Rauku-mara Basin, off East Cape. Deep sea drilling threatens the North Island’s eastern coastline with a Gulf of Mexico scale oil disaster.
Skipper of Windborne Avon Hansford said, “People of the Bay of Plenty should be very concerned about deep sea drilling in the Rauku-mara Basin as any spills have a very good chance of washing up on Bay of Plenty and Coromandel beaches.”
Hansford has indicated that the flotilla intends to continue its opposition at sea after the court hearing adding that, “We are inviting other boaties to join our flotilla in defence of our oceans and coastlines”.
The public is also encouraged to peacefully gather in support of Elvis Teddy outside the Tauranga District Court from 8am in the morning on this Friday 29 April.
A public rally is expected to be held on the Tauranga waterside around 11am.
Following the court appearance of Elvis Teddy representatives of te Wha-nau a- Apanui will gather to give a press conference at a nearby venue (to be announced).
- ENDS -
Notes to Editor
(1) Rikirangi Gage’s radioed message to Orient Explorer on April 23 stated, “You are not welcome in our waters. Accordingly, and as an expression of our mana in these waters and our deep concern for the adverse effects of deep sea drilling, we will be positioning the te Wha-nau a- Apanui vessel directly in your path. We will not be moving, we will be doing some fishing. That’s what our waters are for, not for pollution. This is not a protest. We are defending tribal waters and our rights from reckless Government policies and the threat of deep sea drilling, which our hapu- have not consented to and continue to oppose”. The sound recording of Rikirangi Gage is available at: http://www.stopdeepseaoil.org.nz/audio.html