Greenpeace activists take action against the single-hulled oil tanker 'Byzantio' on its way from Tallin with its cargo of 50,000 tonnes of oil. Greenpeace inflatables attemp to stop and enter the ship displayinga banner reading HAZARD.
Fourteen activists on board three inflatable boats sailed
alongside the vessel displaying banners that read "Hazard" to
highlight again that vessels of this type are threatening the
health and environment of the world's oceans. Some banners were
attached to the hull of the ship.
The Byzantio is a Maltese flagged ship that is transporting oil
for the same Russian-owned company "Crown Resources" that owned the
oil on the Prestige that broke up and sank off the northwest coast
of Spain on November 19. Like the Prestige, the Byzantio is a
26-year-old single hull vessel carrying 50,000 tonnes of oil.
Like many aging and unsafe oil tankers, the Byzantio is
registered under a flag of convenience - a place where regulations
are soft and inspectors are often willing to turn a blind eye to
irregularities. Recently, the Paris Memorandum of Understanding,
one of the world's leading port inspection authorities, placed
Malta on safety "black list" for its failure to fulfil basic safety
measures.
"It is inconceivable that with the scars of the Prestige still
raw in people's memory, the Byzantio is being allowed to navigate
these waters," said Pernilla Svenberg from Greenpeace. "This is
like laughing in the face of danger. European governments must make
tougher legislation for all transport vessels through European
waters."
European ministers responsible for transportation, energy and
telecommunications are scheduled to meet in Brussels on December 5
and 6 and maritime safety and environmental issues are expected to
be high on the agenda. Denmark, the current seat of the EU
Presidency, is expected to present several initiatives to tackle
the issue of dangerous shipments.
We are demanding full and unlimited liability throughout the
chain of responsibilities, including the owners, managers and
operators of a vessel and of any charterers or owners of the cargo.
Additionally, we want the EU to implement an urgent phase-out of
sub-standard vessels, especially old single-hull tankers and
exclusion of ecologically sensitive areas from shipping routes.
And until Greenpeace is convinced that our elected officials are
going to make our seas safe from oil, we don't believe ships like
the Byzantio should be allowed to sail. Help us by taking action now to
support this action. Demand that the European Union tighten up the
loopholes and flag of convenience laws that allow deadly cargoes to
sail past our fragile coasts legally. Demand an end to the tragedy
of oil spills.
Join
the discussion of the spill in Spain.
Take action online!
Send a protest message to Crown Oil and demand that the EU
tighten up regulations on old, dangerous oil tankers. Click here to keep other ships in
port.
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urgent donation to our efforts to stop oil spills and move the
world toward clean, renewable energy.