October 2008

Oriental Bluebird, left, refuels the whaling factory ship Nisshin-Maru in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, 2007

The Japanese whaling fleet's key supply vessel, Oriental Bluebird, has been de-flagged and fined following a legal ruling by Panamanian authorities, where the ship is registered. The owners of the former oil tanker, used to refuel the fleet in the Southern Ocean and to ship whale meat back to Japan, were fined the maximum penalty after being found guilty of:

• using the ship for purposes it was not licensed for (ie carrying whale meat rather than oil)
• violating the MARPOL convention (a treaty designed to eliminate the deliberate, negligent or accidental release of oil and other harmful substances from ships into the marine environment) after illegally refuelling whaling vessels in Antarctic waters.

© Kristian Buus / Greenpeace.

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In the early hours of this morning, after bailiffs served us a high court injunction from the quayside (presumably the "action" E.on had talked about earlier in the day), we pulled up our lines and left the jetty by Kingsnorth power station. We're heading, slowly, back to London.

It had been a busy evening at Kingsnorth. At around 10pm, the team battling with technical problems while occupying E.on's island came back to the boat to project images of climate change and the slogan 'Gordon bin it' from the bow.

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Here's Captain Mike's take on today's events, written for his personal blog: 

“Rainbow Warrior you are entering the Medway compulsory pilotage area without a pilot. You must stop your vessel and leave the area. You are breaking maritime law.” That’s what the Medway Vessel Traffic Service told me this morning. But, I kept the throttle down and Rainbow Warrior (flanked by eight zodiacs) pointing at an antiquated technology that is consuming the planet. I did inform the VTS when we passed Grain Edge navigation buoy, that we’d entered the Medway channel. I chose not to take a pilot this morning for fear of implicating my fellow mariners in a civilly disobedient activity. In the past week I have done two trips down the Medway, past Kingsnorth, to Chatham Ness - both trips under pilotage with me paying utmost attention to the local navigation.

Read the rest (and while you're there, have a good browse - Mike writes beautifully).

On deck of the Rainbow warrior, taken during the Warrior's UK tour. © Will Rose / Greenpeace.

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It's slightly surreal sitting here in the mess of the Rainbow Warrior, where life is carrying on in all its usual, cosy hustle and bustle. (The crew members are helping themselves to spaghetti and salad as I write, and a couple of people are using the first quiet moment of the day to have a shower.)

Just outside is the towering smokestack of Kingsnorth and, around the corner, there's a small, concrete island owned by E.on which six people - including two of the Kingsnorth Six - have occupied. They're planning to set up a projector and beam images of climate change impacts onto Kingsnorth's smokestack. (So far, they've been troubled by technical problems - I'll keep you posted.)

Occupying the island platform outside Kingsnorth. © Kristian Buus/ Greenpeace.

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Pete is a volunteer deckhand who somehow finds the time to write blogs.

Tuesday 28th: Flags, canoes and a heap of equipment are ready in the hold. Inflatable boats are being checked and hatches secured.

Everyone is 100 per cent dedicated, working through every detail. I doubt I'll sleep much tonight.

Wednesday 29th: Adrenalin pumping, we cast off from Southend pier. There's time to calm down, have a cup of tea - time for a bite to eat too.

We reach Kingsnorth power station loading jetty, a police launch is ready to block us landing.