GP Ship Returns from Antarctic Whaling Protests

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>> GREENPEACE CALLS ON JAPAN TO STOP KILLING WHALES IN SANCTUARY:


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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> GREENPEACE CALLS ON JAPAN TO STOP KILLING WHALES IN SANCTUARY:
MV Greenpeace returns from Antarctica
 
HOBART, AUSTRALIA, Saturday, 18 March 1995: The MV GREENPEACE
arrived in Hobart today, after a two-month-long voyage to
Antarctica where its crew found the Japanese whaling fleet
killing whales in the heart of the new Southern Ocean Sanctuary.
 
The number of countries protesting over Japan's whaling in the
whale sanctuary now stands at five. Britain, France, Australia,
New Zealand and Chile all protested the Japanese hunt. The
protests came after the MV GREENPEACE used its helicopter and
inflatables to try and prevent whales from being killed. Footage
of the whaling operation was broadcast around the world and
caused widespread outrage.  
 
After Greenpeace had found the so-called "scientific" fleet three
times in four days, and spent almost a week trailing them through
the whaling grounds, the whalers diverted one of their catcher
vessels, the Toshi Maru No.18, to follow the Greenpeace vessel
while the rest of the fleet fled. For nine days, the whaler
shadowed the MV GREENPEACE and reported its position back to the
others.
The Toshi Maru No.18 even followed the Greenpeace ship into
McMurdo Sound, the area deep inside the Ross Sea which is the
site for New Zealand and United States bases.
 
The MV GREENPEACE hid behind a ten-mile long iceberg during a
snowstorm to lose the catcher and, five days later, found the
fleet in the Ross Sea again. The fleet's factory ship, the
Nisshin Maru, fled at full speed and once again detailed the
Toshi Maru No.18 to follow Greenpeace. 
 
"Japan claims this is scientific research, but by giving up one-
third of their research fleet to follow us shows that the truth
is different and they have something to hide," said Greenpeace's
Kieran Mulvaney, expedition coordinator on board the MV
GREENPEACE. 
 
"This is nothing more than commercial whaling under another
name," said Mulvaney.  "We know that, the whalers know that and
they did everything in their power to keep us away and prevent us
from showing the rest of the world what is really happening deep
inside the Antarctic Sanctuary.   
"The reactions of the five governments, show that the world can
not be fooled. People all around the world have had enough of
Japan's excuses and want this whaling to end.  
 
"We call on the other governments which voted for the
Sanctuary to join in the protests which have been made already." 
 
During the voyage, scientists on board the Greenpeace vessel
carried out a series of research projects on the whales and the
ecosystem of the Southern Ocean sanctuary. This research
included: photo-identification of humpback whales; acoustic
studies of blue, sperm and humpback whales; a study into the
amount and type of artificial debris in the Southern Ocean; and
research into the effects of UV radiation on phytoplankton
communities as a result of ozone depletion.  Such studies will go
far further than killing whales in casting light on the health
and threats of the Southern Ocean ecosystem.
 
"We will now hand over the results to the IWC as further proof
that you don't have to kill the whales to know more about them" 
said Mulvaney. "
 
ENDS 
 
For more information contact Greenpeace Media coordinator Jon
Walter on 0419-745547