.THE NUCLEAR FREE IRISH SEA FLOTILLA, (MADE UP OF YACHTS AND VESSELS FROM ENGLAND , WALES AND IRELAND), SUPPORTED BY THE GREENPEACE SHIP SV RAINBOW WARRIOR
A flotilla of sailboats from Ireland and the British Isles and
our own Rainbow Warrior are in the Irish Sea to peacefully protest
against and to highlight the madness of the shipment.
The freighters were spotted off the coast of Portugal a few days
ago and are expected to enter the Irish Sea by Monday 16th or
Tuesday 17th September. There is no information yet that the ship's
operators, BNFL, have notified the Irish Government, the Northern
Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly or the Scottish Parliament
about the route the ships will now take. The nuclear shipment could
pass less than 10 miles from their coasts and population. The main
concerns are that the ships are vulnerable to catastrophic accident
or terrorist attack, which could lead to large-scale contamination
of the marine environment and coastal communities.
The Irish Government, backed by all opposition parties has
condemned the imminent arrival of the plutonium shipment. Following
meetings of its Emergencies Committee, the Government in Dublin
agreed to deploy naval vessels and aircraft to track the shipment
and to ensure that it did not enter Irish waters.
The Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotlla, which the Rainbow Warrior is
supporting, comprises individuals whose love of the sea and
communities that it supports, has united them to take action to
protect it.
BNFL and the British Government should take note of the strength
of commitment of some of the people whose lives they risk with
their deadly shipments and radioactive discharges from the
Sellafield nuclear plant.
Paul Barrett:
"As mariners we constantly face the challenge of the seas and
nature. We survive the often dangerous conditions because we have
learnt to respect the might of the sea and pay due consideration to
the amazing natural amenity that we as sailors are honoured to sail
upon.
Why is that respect not reciprocated by BNFL. How can they
continue to make the Irish Sea the most toxic sea on this
planet?"
Paul Doody:
"The sea has been in my family for many years. These guys [BNFL
nuclear freighter crew] are also sailors but I guess it's hard to
approach them. I would ask them, though, how they could run this
cargo through oceans that they could destroy .. destroy something
that sailors for many centuries have enjoyed? - I don't
understand."
Derek Harris:
A prayer for the flotilla.
".....that those who see us have a change of heart and realise
that with your power and our strength and commitment that, perhaps,
in the long term, we may be able to cause change in other
people."
Photos
and sound bites from the skippers and route map.
We hope that the expression of outrage at the end of this deadly
cargo's journey, added to the strong protests of 80 en-route
nations and other flotillas of concerned sailors, will ensure that
this is the last time our oceans and seas are used as nuclear
highways.
Tell UK Foreign Minister, Jack Straw, that we don't want any
more transports of terror and join our
virtual flotilla.