ATTEMPTED PIRACY ON HIGH SEAS BY US COAST GUARD
Arctic Ocean

18 August 1997

In a blatant violation of international law tonight, the US Coast Guard attempted to stop the Greenpeace Ship, Arctic Sunrise in international waters.

As ARCO's concrete island drilling system settled into Camden Bay, despite legal Greenpeace protests, the Arctic Sunrise left the area. After the ship was well into international waters, a US Coast Guard helicopter flew out and repeatedly ordered them to heave to for boarding.

Even after being informed that the vessel was in international waters, the Coast Guard responded: "I am still ordering you to heave-to, skipper. Uhmm, your choice, I am ordering you to heave-to, uh, for documented violations of federal laws and treaties of the United States, and uh, it is your choice obviously, there are coast guard vessels out to board you."

"This is an extraordinary breach of international law, which provides absolute protection of the navigation of vessels in international waters," said Greenpeace international attorney Duncan Currie.

The events on the High Seas ended a day of high drama where Greenpeace performed a citizens arrest on ARCO's oil rig manager for violation of us law, declared an environmental protection zone, and witnessed numerous marine mammals including polar bears fleeing from the three tugs towing the drilling platform.

"ARCO, the federal agencies and the Coast Guard have clearly demonstrated that they will stop at nothing to prevent Greenpeace's campaign to protect the environment from the abuses of the oil industry," said Steve Sawyer, on board the Arctic Sunrise, "But Greenpeace will continue its protest against oil exploration because we cannot afford to burn even a quarter of the known fossil fuel reserves, it is foolhardy and irresponsible of the oil industry to continue searching for more."

"The oil industry obviously have the authorities at their beck and call - even to the extent of getting the coast guard to abuse its powers in international waters. It is time the oil industry was brought under control," Sawyer added.

Attached - extracts from a transcript of the exchange between US Coast Guard helicopter 6523 and the mv Arctic Sunrise captain, Arne Sorensen. The complete transcript is available.

Transcript, VHF communications, 18 August

CG = Coast Guard helicopter 6523

AS = Captain Arne Sorensen, Greenpeace Motor Vessel Arctic Sunrise

CG: motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, this is Coast Guard helicopter, Coast Guard helicopter 16.

CG: Motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, this is Coast Guard helicopter overhead your position 70 30 north, 144 35 west, on a heading of 335, 10 knots, red vessel, with white superstructure, with Coast Guard helicopter overhead, on channel 16. You are ordered to heave to, stop your vessel, (AS call sign? "sea-ray, kay- beck, bee-so-too"??) to await Coast Guard, US Coast Guard boarding, and other federal agent boarding, for violation of US laws and treaties. I have you over, uh, underneath me at this time, positive identification, I am ordering you to heave to, stop your vessel, in your current position, immediately skipper. Coast Guard helicopter standing by, channel one-six.

CG: Motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, Coast Guard helicopter overhead circling, you are ordered to heave to, heave to, stop your vessel, `sea-ray, kay- beck, bee-so-too, sea-ray, kay beck, bee-so-too,' heave to, skipper, for US Coast Guard and other federal agents boarding for violation of US laws and treaties, Coast Guard helicopter circling overhead, to the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise, Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise, you are ordered to heave to.

AS: Coast Guard helicopter, this is the Arctic Sunrise on channel 122.9

CG: Arctic Sunrise, Coast Guard helicopter on channel 122.9

AS: Yeah, good evening, what's your business here, over.

CG: Motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, Coast Guard helicopter. I am ordering you to heave to, for Coast Guard and other federal agents boarding for violation of US laws of treaties, you are ordered to stop your vessel at this time,

AS: Coast Guard helicopter, this is the Arctic Sunrise, sorry to inform you that this is a Dutch-registered vessel operating in international waters, and you have no authority to stop me in this area, over.

CG: Motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, Coast Guard helicopter. I am still ordering you to stop for violation of US laws and treaties, you are ordered to stop at this time, on uh, for violation of US laws and treaties.

AS: Right-oh, yes, understood, but I'm sorry, I am not going to stop my vessel. You have no authority to stop me in international waters.

CG: Motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, Coast Guard helicopter six-five-two-three, and I am still ordering you to heave to, skipper. Um, your choice, I am ordering you to heave to, uh, for documented violations of federal laws and treaties of the United States, and uh, it is your choice, obviously, there are Coast Guard vessels that are out to board you, I am ordering you to heave to, and we have documented proof, or documented, uh evidence, of violation of US laws and treaties.

AS: I can only repeat what I've just said, that you have no authority to stop me in international waters.

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