Press release - 22 January, 2008
After delaying the refuelling of the Japanese whaling fleet's factory ship Nisshin Maru this morning, Greenpeace inflatables returned to document boxes of whale meat being transferred to refuelling and cargo vessel Oriental Bluebird, and to continue protesting whaling fleet's refuelling in Antarctic Treaty waters.
As the documentation was in progress, two of the whaling fleet's
hunter vessels spent more than an hour performing close-quarter
manoeuvres around the small Greenpeace inflatables, to harass the
activists, and push them away from the Nisshin Maru and Oriental
Bluebird.
While this event was in progress, the crew of the Greenpeace
ship Esperanza, which was close by, spotted the Australian
government ship Oceanic Viking appeared on the horizon. The Oceanic
Viking is now near the Esperanza and Japan's whaling fleet.
Other contacts: Dave Walsh, Greenpeace International communications officer on board the Esperanza. Tel: +873 324 469 014 and +47 514 079 86Sara Holden, Greenpeace International Whales Project leader, on board the Esperanza. Tel: +873 324 469 014 and +47 514 079 86Junichi Sato, Greenpeace Japan Whales Project leader, Tokyo. Tel: +81-80-5088-2990 (GMT + 9)Photos are available from Michelle Thomas, + 81 903 593 6979 and video from Michael Nagasaka +81 806 558 4447, both in Tokyo (GMT +9)