TOXIC FREE ASIA TOUR
The SV Rainbow Warrior Tour in Asia

TOUR LOGBOOK

11 April 2000 - Behind the Scences of the Japan Leg Launch

We launched the Japanese leg of the Toxic Free Asia Tour on a very rainy afternoon on Sunday the 10th of April. The Captain, Peter Wilcox, and the toxics campaigner from Greenpeace Japan, Ayako Sekine, welcomed the press on board. The TV crews, newspaper reporters all came onboard the ship. We informed them about the reasons Greenpeace had come to Japan and why Greenpeace feels companies and governments all over the world need to get serious in fighting the pollution of our environment with persistent pollutants like PCBs, dioxin and other nasty toxins. These chemicals are a constant danger to the environment as much as they are to the health and well being of humans. Japan is a unfortunately still confronted with significant chemical pollution and Greenpeace is worried about its effects on the environment and the health of people in Japan.

The journalists were very interested in the reasons for Greenpeace to be here, the number of people on board and where they are from and of course they were interested to hear what Peter, our captain, thought of Japan. Peter likes Japan, if only for the reason that it is not necessary to have a pilot on board while sailing here.

Right now all crew, campaigners and volunteers are busy preparing for our departure from Hiroshima which is scheduled for tomorrow at 10:00 AM. By now the ship has been in Hiroshima for almost a week, and we will return to Hiroshima in the next weeks. Next week we will sail on and around the Seto Sea, which is an inland, shallow sea that is highly contaminated by chemical pollution. It is a area of outstanding beauty with many small mountainous islands. It will most certainly be great sailing for most of us on board, but it will also be ironic to realise that such a beautiful place is under threat from things one cannot see, touch or hear. It is in that sense also ironic that it is difficult for people in Japan to find out more about the pollution of their marine environment. Especially as fish and other sea foods are such a significant part of the diet in Japan.

Ayako said it brilliantly in the press release accompanying the launch: "It is no longer acceptable to use the marine environment as dumping ground for wastes. The Seto Inland Sea is a sensitive ecological area, and tough measures should be taken to ensure that it is protected from industrial pollution. It is time for industry and government to commit to a zero discharge policy for hazardous pollutants in the Seto Sea". That is our goal and we are all getting ready to go for it.

Read how Frank, the author of this piece is adapting to life on the Rainbow Warrior.


14 April - Action in the Seto Sea