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GREENPEACE TRIES TO BLOCK NORWEGIAN WHALING SHIPS FROM LEAVING HARBOUR.
OSLO, FRIDAY, JUNE 14TH, 1996
Greenpeace activists boarded and blocked Norwegian whaling ships in Kristiansand harbour today to non- violently prevent them sailing to catch their quota of minke whales.
Forty Greenpeace activists from six nations (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, UK and Germany,) in inflatables, in the water and on land are attempting to board and block Norwegian whaling vessels (Villduen, Seie, Senet and Seiebuen) to prevent them leaving for the whaling grounds. Two activists are secured to the railings of one whaling ships, some activists have been aggressively removed and thrown into the water while trying to board. Blue floating rope has been used by activists to ensnare three whaling vessels to keep them in port and swimmers with buoys are blocking their exit.
Whalers on the vessels are using water hoses and force to try to prevent activists from getting on board. Reports from the harbour say whalers have loaded harpoons on deck threatening to to fire them at Greenpeace inflatables in the water.
Two activists have been arrested. Additional Greenpeace activists have placed a banner in front of two of the whaling vessels in port reading "NORWAY STOP WHALING."
Greenpeace efforts to try to stop Norway's whaling began after Norway announced it would raise its quota of minke whales killed this year by more than 50 percent -- from 232 last year to 425. The Greenpeace protest took place 10 days before the start of this year's meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Norway's quota of whales is based on a new estimate by Norwegian scientists that there are 110,000-120,000 minke whales in the North east Atlantic. This is the sixth estimate from Norwegian scientists in the last 14 months. The IWC has not accepted any of these estimates as valid and maintain this population classified as "protected stock".
In Norway, where national consumption is most often given as the reason to continue hunting whales, 50-100 tonnes of whale meat from last year's hunt is languishing in cold storage unpurchased. Norwegian national radio reported this week that only 56 out of 202 whales caught so far this year have been sold.
Yesterday, the Norwegian raw fish sales organisation, Raafiskarlaget, agreed to subsidise the sales of whale meat and whale blubber. It will pay 500,000 Norwegian kronor (USD 76,000) toward the sales of meat and 300,000 kronor (USD 46,000) for whale blubber. Wholesale buyers have refused to pay the official minimum price so the Raafiskarlaget has intervened to keep the industry functioning.
Norwegian whalers have repeatedly said they want to increase the quota up to 1,800 whales a year. Whalers are also asking for quotas on other species, mainly on fin whales.
Norway and Japan are the only two nations still killing whales despite a moratorium on commercial whaling agreed by the IWC in 1982. Japan continues to hunt whales via a loophole which allows for the killing of whales as "scientific research" while Norway is openly hunting commercially.
In April this year, Japanese authorities seized six tonnes of whale meat, part of a larger effort to smuggle 60 tonnes (an estimated 30 whales or 15 percent of Norway's 1995 quota) into the country from Norway.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT
Greenpeace at the action site: +4790-107-904 and -174-871
John Frizzell, Greenpeace International: +441273-476-839
Blair Palese, Greenpeace Communications: +44171-833-0600