As the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in St Kitts concluded its proceedings today, a peaceful protest carried out by Greenpeace was abruptly broken up by the authorities, who arrested ten activists and ship crew from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise. The protestors were attempting to highlight the number of whales killed during the last whaling season in the so-called Southern Oceans Whale Sanctuary.

The protest involved activists and crew from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, which had been barred from St Kitts waters when it arrived last weekend prior to the start of the IWC meeting. They arrived via inflatable boats to the beach in North Frigate Bay, St Kitts and were attempting to create a symbolic "whale graveyard" display using 863 cardboard whale tails - one to represent each of the estimated whales caught by Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean 'Whale Sanctuary' during the last year. However, the protestors were stopped and arrested by the police shortly after coming ashore, and currently are being held at the Basseterre Police Station in St Kitts awaiting further information on charges. (1)

"To have arrests happen over a peaceful protest is ludicrous - the real safety issues are on the high-seas where whales are under threat and are being killed on an on-going basis," said Mike Townsley, Greenpeace International spokesperson. "It's about time the IWC and nations of the world take heed and realise that this slaughter cannot continue. Greenpeace is on the side of good by protecting whales and the environment they live in.

"Greenpeace is a peaceful protest organisation and we will return to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary later this year, where we will continue to defend the 935 minke whales and ten fin whales which are the target of the Fisheries Agency of Japan's grenade tipped harpoons," concluded Townsley.

Greenpeace's campaign for an end to whaling is part of the most ambitious ship expedition ever undertaken by the environmental advocacy organisation. The 14-month long "Defending our Oceans" expedition is exposing the key threats to our oceans and offering real solutions, a global network of properly enforced marine reserves covering 40 percent of the worlds oceans: places that will be protected from industrial exploitation and destruction, from industrial fishing and hunting, and places from which our oceans can begin the process of repair and recovery.