Greenpeace activists today continued,
for the fourth day, to block the 'MS Fagervik' in the port
of
Norrköping, Sweden, demanding that the vessel be immediately
taken out of traffic in the Baltic Sea. The 'Fagervik' was
caught
dumping a large amount of oil in the Baltic in February 2001
but
has not yet been held liable for the environmental damage it
caused.
The non violent direct action started on Tuesday morning
when
15 Greenpeace activists surrounded the ship. Four activists
boarded the vessel and two chained themselves to the mast.
Four activists from Germany, Australia, Sweden and Finland
have been arrested over the past four days.
Corporate criminals like the 'Fagervik' don´t belong in the
Baltic Sea, which is one of the most sensitive and polluted
sea
areas in the world," said Greenpeace campaigner Stuart
Thomson. "We have put her under detention and won´t release
her until we get guarantees that she will leave the Baltic Sea
and
not come back.
The Baltic Sea is a highly sensitive and one of the world's
most
polluted ecosystems. Swedish legislation prohibits practically
all
releases of oil into the Baltic, yet oil pollution from
ships
continues. In December 2001, the municipal court of
Norrköping ruled that there was no doubt the 'Fagervik' had
released a large amount of oil into the sea, but the captain
and
chief engineer were acquitted because the prosecutor could
not
prove that the release had been deliberate. The prosecutor
has
appealed the ruling.
The 'Fagervik' is currently being chartered by the Swedish
shipping company 'Jönsson Novabolagen' which also charters
four other ships that regularly sail in the Baltic Sea and
have
records of detentions.
Swedish legislation is based on the premise that a spill from
a
ship has to be proved as being intentional, which is almost
impossible, said Stuart Thomson. To stop oil spills,
politicians
have to ensure that much stricter regulations are
implemented
and enforced. If spills do occur, the company responsible must
apart from a high fine - bear the economic costs of damage
to
the environment and human health.
1000-2000 oil spills occur in the Baltic every year. As the
rate
of water exchange in the Baltic is slow, this has resulted in
the
Baltic Sea having three times as much fossil hydrocarbons as
the
North Sea. Oil releases in the Baltic have serious
consequences
for birds and marine life as well as sea floors. The
International
Maritime Organisation (IMO) has classified the Baltic Sea as
a
Special Area´ reflecting its vulnerability to oil
pollution.
This case shows that corporations are not held liable for
the
destruction they cause and that the shipping industry is
clearly
incapable of cleaning up its own act. International legislation
to
ensure companies are held liable for environmental abuses is
vital
to protect areas such as the Baltic, said Thomson.
To protect the Baltic Sea from oil dumping Greenpeace
demands:
Balticdrivers license
Corporateliability: ship owners and the industry as a whole
must be given the full financial liability for the effects of
oil
discharges, whether or not intent can be proven.
Actionfrom the shipping operators: all companies that work
with shipping transports in the Baltic must stop using ships
and companies that have previously been guilty of
discharging oil or those that do not fulfil very high
standards
of security, competence and education.