The activists, in a non-violent protest against the whaling
fleet's activities in the Southern Ocean, placed their inflatable
boat between the factory ship Nisshin Maru and the
Panamanian-registered refueling vessel Oriental Bluebird,
preventing them from coming alongside to refuel.
In a statement radioed to the Oriental Bluebird in Japanese,
Spanish and English, Japan whales campaigner Sakyo Noda said, "The
Oriental Bluebird must leave Antarctic waters immediately: your
presence here is unwanted and a threat to the pristine Antarctic
environment which has been declared a particularly sensitive sea
area by the International Maritime Organisation and a 'natural
reserve, devoted to peace and science' by the Environmental
Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty [2]. A refueling operation within
the Treaty area would be contrary to the spirit of the Antarctic
Treaty. Japan, as a party to the Treaty, must comply with the
letter and the spirit of the Treaty and not refuel within the
Treaty area and comply with Annex IV on the Prevention of
Environmental Pollution".
While Japan's government issues permits for six so-called
"scientific whaling" ships to hunt in the Southern Ocean Whale
Sanctuary, the Oriental Bluebird has no such paperwork. Despite
Japan's status as signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, it
consistently fails to lodge required environmental impact
assessments for the whaling fleet with the Antarctic Treaty
Secretariat. The Panamian-registered Oriental Bluebird also lacks
this documentation, designed to ensure protection of the
environment.
"The Panamanian government, which takes a position in defence of
whales, at the IWC and elsewhere is now in effect taking part in
the whale hunt in the Antarctic whale sanctuary by allowing the
Oriental Bluebird to illegally join the Japanese whaling fleet
under the Panamanian flag," said Panamian activist Mir Rodriguez,
from on board the Esperanza. "Panama must immediately either recall
its flag from the Oriental Bluebird, or order it to stop supporting
the whaling fleet."
Other contacts:
Dave Walsh, Greenpeace International communications officer on board the Esperanza. Tel: +47 514 079 86 or +873 324 469 014
Sara Holden, Greenpeace International Whales Project leader, on board the Esperanza. Tel: +47 514 079 86 or +873 324 469 014
Junichi 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)
Notes: 1. Japan's annual commercial whale hunt, which this season plans to kill 935 minke whales and 50 endangered fin whales, exploits a loophole in International Whaling Commission (IWC) regulations, was condemned by an IWC resolution in May 2007, and has been dismissed as useless by the IWC's own scientists.
2. The Antarctic Treaty entered into force in 1961 and applies to the entire area South of 60 degrees. In 1998, the Treaty was supplemented by the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (called the Madrid Protocol), Article 2 of which reads that, "the Parties commit themselves to the comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems …". The global community's recognition of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean as a global commons and areas of particular value are supplemented by MARPOL 73/78, the International Agreement that was negotiated to prevent pollution from ships at sea. MARPOL73/78 recognises Antarctica as a 'special area'. This is recognition of its particular vulnerability to any kind of pollution from seaborne traffic - both immediate and cumulative.
Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organisation that uses non-violent creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems to force solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
Exp. contact date: 2008-03-03 00:00:00