Greenpeace activists, who yesterday attached themselves to the
mooring lines of the oil tanker Byzantio, have now ended the
protest. A Netherlands judge has ordered the activists to cease
upon a penalty of 250,000 per day. According to the judge hearing
the case, the Byzantio complies with all maritime regulations and
in his opinion, it is highly unlikely the ship will sink.
There is definitely something wrong with a system that allows
substandard ships to sail and that, indeed, allowed even the
Prestige to sail, said Marrietta Harjono, of Greenpeace. This is
one clear example of why the system needs to change and new,
stricter regulations need to be adopted. These types of vessels
should not be sailing the world's oceans.
During the afternoon, Greenpeace activists painted the message
EU Act Now on the hull of the Byzantio in a direct communication to
EU Transportation, Telecommunication and Energy Ministers meeting
tomorrow in Brussels. Ministers will be discussing maritime safety,
among other issues.
Greenpeace is 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, Greenpeace is demanding that the EU immediately ban
the use of single hulled tankers and exclude ecologically sensitive
areas from shipping routes.
The Byzantio is a 26-year old, single hulled vessel sailing
under a Maltese flag. It has been chartered by Crown Resources the
same Russian company that chartered the Prestige. The Prestige sank
off the coast of Spain in the middle of last month, but the ill
effects of that disaster will be affecting the ocean s environment
for years to come.
At one point during the day s events, Greenpeace held talks with
Aegean Shipping Company the operator of the Byzantio asking them to
make a blueprint for an unlimited liability formula for the
Byzantio (1), but the proposal was turned down when the company
went to court.
Greenpeace is also carrying out a cyber action requesting
visitors to their website to send letters to the International
Maritime Organisation, the Secretary General of the United Nations
calling for an end to flags of convenience and a clean up of
shipping regulations. Over 10,000 letters have been sent in the
past 2 weeks.
VVPR info: John Novis, Greenpeace Picture Editor, ++31 6 53 81 91 21Lucy Clayton, Greenpeace Video Producer, ++ 31 6 53 50 47 21
Notes: Greenpeace was asking the ship s operators to use the Byzantio as an example of how the maritime safety system should work by accepting a formula of unlimited liability