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Onboard stories
April 21: Barbecuing on the High Seas
April 19: Beginners guide to nautical terms
April 12: The Garbologist and the art of garbology

Meet the Crew
Find out a little about the personalities onboard the MV Greenpeace and send them a message.

Illustrated Webcasts

Politics
Greenpeace letters to Governments and received responses

The M/V Greenpeace Crew come from a variety of backgrounds, age groups, and nationalities but they all share a commitment to protect our planet's fragile environment, in particular the biodiversity of the oceans, which requires, among other things, calling on governments to assume their responsibilities and stop pirate fishing. For this expedition there were 28 folks on board the MV Greenpeace, from 11 nationalities, ranging in age from 23 to 62.

Name: Peter Nationality: Switzerland Age: 54 Position on Board: Captain Professional Background: Grew up in a land without sea, dreaming of being a sailor. At 16, left firm ground to finally end up as a captain in the Greenpeace fleet. Has sailed all of the Greenpeace ships through the years. Was Captain on the recent trip to Antarctica. When not working on ships, completely devoted to my family in Germany. Why do you work for Greenpeace?: It was a possibility to bring my abilities and skills in seamanship to something that I believe in and I’m very happy with it. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Hang gliding in Switzerland, hiking. Computer graphics – started with Coral, but haven’t found the time to get much further.

Name: Ken Nationality: British Role on Ship: 1st Mate Professional Background: Qualified with the merchant navy and have now been at sea for 28 years. Years in Greenpeace: 22 years as first mate. First campaign, the Icelandic whale campaign. High point was 6 years on the Antarctic campaign as mate and expedition campaigner; set up the base in 1985 and went back every year until 1992. This will be one of my last campaigns. I’m looking forward to going back to New Zealand and being a dad. Tanya, my wife is 5 months pregnant and has just left Ice Camp Sirius, where she has been working on the Arctic campaign to stop BP’s Northstar project.. Now it’s time to practice what we’ve been preaching and live a sustainable life; we have built our own adobe house in New Zealand, just a short distance from the Pacific with nothing but the sounds of nature around us. We run our electricity on solar panels which were in the Antarctic base camp – well travelled but still going strong! We supplement this with a fire woodburner and stove for cooking and grow our own food. Adobe will be Tanya’s business and I’ll be working as a furniture maker recycling timber from demolition and also using Monterey Cyprus (more commonly known as Macrocarpa in NZ) a non-native species introduced from the US – the NZ conservationists are “weeding out” this tree to allow native species to regenerate. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Dislikes: the ubiquitous spread of the internet! Becomes a means rather than an end. Hobbies: sailing – we have our own yacht.

Name: Joanne Nickname: Jo Hometown: Plymouth, England Age: 25 Role on Ship: Third Mate Professional Background: My third trip with Greenpeace – was on the recent Antarctic expedition. No stranger to the sea – have spent 7 or 8 years on sailing ships. Why Do You Work for Greenpeace? A way to earn a bit and do something valuable at the same time. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Sailing - that's it. Reading's quite big when you're at sea.

Name: Hanno - Lutz Nationality Age: 62 Role on Ship: Bosun Professional Background: 10 years with Greenpeace. I worked on Big Ocean liners, big sailing, cargo, fish trawlers, owned a bar for 7 years. I spent one year in the morgue as an assistant for autopsies Why Do You Work for Greenpeace? Want to stay on the other side of the line, my whole life I been on the dirty side. The container ships and others that I crewed on would dump stuff into the water. I didn't feel like I could speak up and keep my job. Now I can. Hobbies: My hobby is the Bahamas. I like working at Greenpeace but will one day settle there. I have some property there and when I am not working with Greenpeace I spend time trying to help people keep the Bahamas clean.

Name:Hans Hometown: Zierikzee (the Netherlands) Age: 56 Role on Ship: Chief Engineer Professional Background: Maritime Officer Why Do You Work for Greenpeace? Complicated to answer, but mainly to save some of the environment for the future human and animal generations. Hobbies, pursuits: Alternative Energy. Anything Else You Want the World To Know? Go on like this and the planet will still be here, but human race??

Name: Hans Nationality: Dutch Age: 37 Role on Ship: Radio Operator Professional Background: Years in Greenpeace: 10. I did the Brent Spar , which was very inspiring, the first leg of it and also some part of the logistics. Two tours to Muroroa, now twice in the Antarctic on the whaling campaign - I was on the recent Southern Oceans expedition, returning after 6 years, in the hope that whaling in the sanctuary will be stopped forever, and also a Norwegian whaling campaign. Also some work in the office here and there in Greenpeace. And outside of Greenpeace, I have mainly been doing computer programming for the Dutch press agency ANP, for about five years in total. Why do you work for Greenpeace? The Brent Spar campaign is the campaign that inspired me the most. We really went into an adventure not knowing exactly what was going to happen, working hard. And the message, that was very simple, got across to a lot of people. That inspired me because it showed me that we can make people think and this is the whole reason why I’m in Greenpeace – because I want to be part of an organisation that makes a lot of people think about what we are doing to this world. Hobbies: I like making music: I enjoy a good night playing the guitar with people joining in, I’ve done some busking. Reading a lot: all kinds of things, depends on my mood really – sometimes I’m into action novels, occasionally a bit of poetry. Writing: I’ve written one book, but it’s never been published: I did a voyage from Paris to Dakar over land using public transport and hitchhiking and so it’s a bit of a travel novel with some philosophy here and there (I hope). I like travelling a lot and have been to Asia, Africa – a lot in northern Africa, did an overland tour from Tanzania to Europe through the Middle East, here there and everywhere really.

Name: Darren Nationality: British Age: 37 Role on Ship: Radio Operator Professional Background: Ex royal navy, 10-12 years working and travelling around the world. Years in Greenpeace: 4 Why do you work for Greenpeace? Main reason is because I love the ocean and this job gives you the opportunity to try and put something back and save what’s left, and it’s just a great job to do! Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Likes: motorbikes – I’ve got a Honda CX 500 and a Honda CB 400-4. Boats - I’ve got a canal boat in London in Springfield park, but I am based in the Netherlands. Dislikes: intolerant people.

Name: Dieter Hometown: Hatzum, Ostfriesland Age: 37 Role on Ship: Chief engineers asst. Professional Background: College of Electronic and Environmental - Hygiene Technics/ Education to Radio and television Service guy. Why Do You Work for Greenpeace? To protect this planet against the greedy and unscrupulous. To combine useful things with interhuman relations, and to create new visions. Likes: Fingering around. Organising and being independent. Pragmatism and Perseverance. Communication to solving and preventing conflicts. Efficient teamwork combined with knowledge, respect and the right direction. Dislikes: To clean up other peoples mess. Not being reliable. Wasting money and resources. Hair in the soup. Anything Else You Want the World To Know? I don't want a bigger car than my neighbour. My house doesn't have to be nicer than others. Career and money don't always make us happy and sociable.

Name: Leonora Nationality: Dutch Role on Ship: Professional Background: Working on Merchant Ships as 1st or 2nd Mate for 50% of the time, the other 50% spent working for Greenpeace as an engineer. Why do you work for Greenpeace? I like the goodwill of the organisation. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Sailing, Playing Harmonica, Ice Skating, swimming.

Name: Babette Nationality: Germany Age: 25 Role on Ship: Assistant to the Engineers Professional Background: This is her second trip with Greenpeace Why Do You Work for Greenpeace? I've always been interested in environmental issues and decided to volunteer. Hobbies: Music and books, lots of books for this trip.

Name: Lesley Age: 52 It's never too late! Role on Ship: Medic/deckhand Professional Background: Nursing both in public hospital system, public health and occupational health This is my first trip with Greenpeace . Why Do You Work for Greenpeace? This is something I wanted to do for a while but circumstances never allowed it. Suddenly things worked out and here I am Hobbies, pursuits: Nature, the great outdoors, people, travelling. I have great daughters. Anything Else You Want the World To Know? It's good to be involved in something so worthwhile and with a great crew.

Name: Phil Age: 40 Home: Marton, New Zealand (on the lower North island) Role on ship: Helicopter pilot Professional Experience: Twenty years of aviation background. Two years fixed wing and 18 years helicopter. As a helicopter pilot I have done everything from crop dusting to search and rescue. I have a lot of experience working in remote locations, and have two instructor ratings. This is my second trip with Greenpeace. Why do you work for Greenpeace? I feel working for Greenpeace is a rewarding compliment to my belief that one person can make a difference, but more importantly, that working together we can make a big difference.

Name: Walter Nationality: German Age: 52 Role on Ship: Mechanic Professional Background: After training as a ships engineer, I worked on shore for a Hamburg company that builds factories all over the world living for 2 years in Nigeria. Then I went to the Caribbean to an island called St. Vincent, building a factory (water treatment plant). After that I changed to a small private island called Mystique (where Mick Jagger lives and Princess Margaret) for 10 years. Years in Greenpeace: 5 years working mainly in Hamburg and on the Beluga, driving, repairing inflatables. Why do you work for Greenpeace? While I was working abroad, my family and 2 daughters were living in Grafenreinfeld, 5 km from the nuclear power plant. When Louludia (it means little flower), my youngest daughter was 5 years old, she contracted leukaemia. The house was right next to the railway station where they loaded used fuel rods onto the trains. They said it was safe, but of course have now found that the casks were contaminated. So, you can see why I came to work for Greenpeace. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Playing chess and reading about quantum physics, astro physics and relativity theory. I used to dive professionally and now as a hobby. Anything else you want the world to know? Change, to be better!

Name: Jimmy Nationality: Scottish Role on Ship: Outboard Mechanic Professional Background: merchant navy and fishing. Been a seaman all my life and covered every aspect of being on a ship from engine room to cook to bridge (I have a watch-keeping certificate). Years in Greenpeace: first trip Why do you work for Greenpeace? I’ve been working all my life and many times wanted to do something like this, but couldn’t afford to, which is why I am volunteering for the next 6-7 weeks and then I’ll take over from Walter as outboard mechanic, when he goes off the ship. Although a lot has changed now, we used to catch a lot of undersized fish, which were just thrown back into the sea, usually dead. Used to have 60-80 foot boats and now we have quotas. I think that if the size of the boats was limited, we wouldn’t need quotas and more people would be employed. I’ll be happy when I can tell my grandkids that I did something to help. When you’re young, you think that everything’s ok and it will always continue as it is, but it’s not any longer, so it’s good to do something like this.

Name: Marko Hometown: Helsinki Age: 28 Role on Ship: Cook Professional Background: Cooking for 10 years. Fifth year on Greenpeace ships I was a Greenpeace member for five years before getting on board. Hobbies, pursuits: I like all kinds of music, especially classical music and heavy metal. Motorcycles. I Draw and write. Do some sports. I Used to create comic books.

Name: Colleen Nationality: Zimbabwe Position on board: Assistant Cook Age: 23 Professional Background: I worked as a nanny for 2 years, living in London. Did some backpacking around Europe in ’98, travelling to Greece, Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland. Went back home to visit family and then went to Australia in 99 travelling around again. Years in Greenpeace: First time working for Greenpeace. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Horse-riding. Drawing – sketching, surreal. Fishing in the river on my uncle’s farm. Cooking!

Name: Donald Age: 33 Nationality: Scottish Position on board: Deckhand Professional Background: Paratrooper, fisherman, fish farmer (Salmon), forklift driver, Cox on North Sea standby vessels. Years in Greenpeace: first trip. Why do you work for Greenpeace? I’ve seen quite a few things in the jobs I’ve done. When I first starting working on fish farms, we used organophosphates to treat lice, which has quite a big impact on the environment and it’s thought that there’s a link with ME. Also, when I was fishing, I was working on a clam dredger which tears up the sea bed and it’s non-selective – crushes starfish and crabs. I dived in an area that used to be quite a nice area to dive in, after I’d fished there and it was absolutely destroyed. Not only this, but I’m a professional seaman and I want to learn more and travel, so quite a few reasons for being on board. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Diving mainly Scotland Isle of Lewes, Western Isles. Depends on time of year or weather conditions as to what you can see – in the summer if there are plankton blooms then can’t see your hand in front of your face or storms can churn up the sea. When conditions are good you can see jellyfish, lobsters, crabs, whiting, cod, haddock, monkfish, skate, scallops, starfish, seals quite often and occasionally an otter and the conger eels can grow pretty big. I’ve done quite a bit of wreck diving and I’m hoping to do an underwater archaeology course. I also like painting with oils (mostly portraits). And otherwise in the pub with friends, having a good time.

Name: Craig Nationality: New Zealand Age: 30 Position on board: Garbologist Background: Been sailing with Greenpeace for five years.

Name: Arjen Age: 26 Nationality: Dutch Position on board: Helicopter engineer Professional Background: studied at the Anthony Fokker school in the Netherlands first to become a fixed wing mechanic and then changed to helicopters (much more complicated and interesting). I then worked in Teuge, for a maintenance company on fixed wing and a helicopter (even smaller than “Tweetie”, yes it’s possible)! But I quit after a year and a half, because the work was too simple and I like to be learning something new every day – I like a challenge. Then Heli Holland persuaded me to come and work for them, which I like and have been working there for 3 years now. Previous work for Greenpeace: Rockall in 1997 and seismological ships on the Atlantic Frontier campaign. Why do you work for Greenpeace? I like it here. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Motorbikes; now I have Honda XL 500. Internet and computers. Dislikes: sometimes the Internet and computers (one got thrown out of a window).

Name: Hélène Age: 42 Nationality: Belgian Position on board: On board campaigner Professional Background: I studied philology. Years in Greenpeace: first worked for Greenpeace in 1986 as a volunteer and got hired as a toxics campaigner in 1987. In 1988 I started working on ocean ecology in Europe (seals, dolphins, whales). In 1988-1989, Greenpeace started developing the fisheries campaign and I became gradually more involved and have been working on this campaign ever since. Why do you like working for Greenpeace? Because I have met great people from all over the world, both within and outside Greenpeace and have also met people I would not have met otherwise. I also love the diversity of my work – as a campaigner you do a great variety of work, such as media and political work, research, writing reports, taking part in actions, etc. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? I love swimming and diving, basically I love to be in the water. I have dived in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and around the Virgin Islands. I’d like to dive in the Red Sea. Unfortunately I live far away from any warm sea to dive in, so I do quite a lot of gardening and reading.

Name: Fred Age: 28 Nationality: French Position on board: On board campaigner Professional Background: I am a biologist specialised in Mediterranean ecosystems, worked for some national and regional parks in France like the Pyrenees, Corsica. Years in Greenpeace: 1 and a half. At the beginning I worked on the GE campaign and after I tried to follow all the ocean issues – in France, whales and the pirate fishing campaigns. During the last oil spill in Brittany I was very involved and learned many thing how Greenpeace could work in this kind of situation. Why do you work for Greenpeace? Because I think that Greenpeace is the only organisation which could do something to achieve a victory politically on environmental issues. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Cartoons. Nature watcher. Anything else you want the world to know? I am looking for many things, a way of life and to answer metaphysical questions. Perhaps I may find some answers on this expedition.

Name: Gavin Age: 38 Nationality: British Position on board: Videographer, underwater video and stills Professional Background: degree in film & photography. Now a photographer and film maker, worked originally for watersports magazines, now freelance. Worked for National Geographic, BBC, Geographical Magazine, amongst others, involved in a lot of expeditions around the world, caving and cave diving. Years in Greenpeace: 9 years working freelance. Early work diving on driftnets in the Med, a lot of antinuclear work diving on nuclear pipelines at La Hague and Sellafield and last year, aerial discharge work at La Hague flying kites. Last year’s Antarctic Southern Oceans campaign, Antipodes islands for the millennium. Just flown in from the Arctic from Ice Camp Sirius, where the kite featured again taking aerial photos of Northstar. Why do you work for Greenpeace? I got involved because of all the expedition work and Greenpeace approached me. Must admit, started off as a job, but now I’ve become much more involved and it’s great to be doing something worthwhile. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? All of the above. I don’t go on holiday, as my real hobby is doing caving and diving expeditions finding and exploring new cave systems. Found a lot in China, and I’ve also done expeditions to New Guinea, Bahamas, Mexico, Spain.

Name: Jeremy Age: 30 Nationality: Scottish Position on board: Photography Professional Background: Studied photography, worked for the last 10 years as freelance photographer for all major broadsheet newspapers and magazines in the UK. A project over 8 years on Romanian gypsies, exhibited at the National Museum of Film and Photography in Bradford and the Open Society Institute New York. A project documenting the working lives aboard North Sea fishing trawlers. Years in Greenpeace: been working freelance for Greenpeace since autumn last year – Atlantic Frontier, recently in Inverness and a toxics action in Romania. Plus thank you Greenpeace, St. Kilda was great. Why do you work for Greenpeace? An opportunity to travel and hopefully the photography can bring the issues involved closer to people who do not have the opportunity to participate themselves. Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Photography, travel, cinema, current affairs & contemporary art.

Name: George Age: 52 Nationality: Taiwan Position on board: Observer Professional Background: Studied banking at University; career expertise is in management; acted as buying agent for Swedish company for computer equipment; worked for Philippine company as a consultant; finance controller of Tai pei Chapter, part of Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (TEPU) and then I became Secretary General of Tepu for 6 months, after which 2 years ago I established the Taiwan Watch Institute and have been working in the environmental movement for 10 years now. TEPU has the following campaigns: anti-incineration, zero waste, environmental monitoring by the public – we hope to establish a mechanism to monitor pollution, join together to push the government and stop the pollution. Years in Greenpeace: in 1997, I worked with Greenpeace on its anti- nuclear waste dumping campaign – Taiwan nuclear waste is shipped to North Korea. Why do you work for Greenpeace? The oceans are an issue in Taiwan, being surrounded by the sea. In my position, I wanted to know how the Flag of Convenience vessels fish, whether they are owned by Taiwanese companies, in order to see if can help to ask our government to make them legal. I think it is very important for global management. I don’t know and would like to know how the government can help to regulate these FOC vessels. Hobbies, pursuits, likes? Reading – ecological, environmental. Hiking.

Name: Vanessa Age: 32 Nationality: British, now based in Amsterdam. Position on board: Web editor Professional Background: ex ship finance lawyer, teaching English. Years in Greenpeace: after 3 and a half years in the office, high time to try out my sea legs, or lack of them – to be determined! Why do you work for Greenpeace? I always loved nature, undoubtedly influenced by many years living in Scotland and being at or close to the sea. “The Firm” I worked for as a ship finance lawyer acted mainly for banks, financing a variety of vessels, which may well have included FOC fishing vessels and oil tankers (we certainly registered vessels on Panamanian flag). It was time for me to salvage my soul (and sanity). Greenpeace was obviously my first port of call: you could say I’m well and truly hooked or even “anchored”! Hobbies, pursuits, likes, dislikes? Theatre, writing & poetry. Have written a couple of Greenpeace spoofs (one heavily influenced by Monty Python’s The Holy Grail); last year was able to combine writing with an interest in music (contemporary and Karnatic – the music of South India), and wrote the voice part of the libretto to the opera “Wölfli, A Journey Into Chaos”. My favourite composer: Rafael Reina (OK, I confess, also my partner and composer of aforementioned opera). Others composers/musicians of note: Jahnavi Jayaprakash (singer and composer of Karnatic music), Ned McGowan, Timuchin Sahin, Mark Haanstra, Giel Flechard, the Interval Chamber Amsterdam & the Nieuw Slagwerkgroep Amsterdam (NSA), Berio, Luigi Nono, George Crumb, Morton Feldman. Reading: on board reading material – Colin Wilson’s ‘The Occult’, ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcylce Maintenance and T.S. Eliot: Collected Poems 1909-1962. Anything else you want the world to know? See Dieter’s comments above. And some food for thought from Eliot’s “Choruses from ‘The Rock’”: Where is the life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?