Ship carrying GM maize expected to make another bid to dock this morning.
Authorities are expected this morning to make a fourth attempt to bring a huge ship carrying GM maize into port in Bristol after Greenpeace protestors have prevented previous attempts.
Three Greenpeace climbers remain on the MV Etoile after boarding it at 6pm on Sunday.
A police helicopter landed on the ship last night and police climbers removed two protestors who were hanging off ropes above the propeller. 12 Greenpeace volunteers have so far been arrested.
High tide, the only time a ship the size of the MV Etoile can safely dock, is at 10.30am. The ship has been unable to come in on any of the previous high tides.
If the ship succeeds in docking this morning, the three protestors still on the ship including two farmers, are likely to be arrested.
The shipment of GM maize was destined for dairy farms that supply milk to Britain's biggest supermarkets. Despite promising to remove GM-fed products from their lines Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda and Safeways all sell own-brand milk from cows fed on American genetically-modified crops.
Greenpeace campaigner Sarah North said: "This ship should take it's GM cargo back to America. We hope that people are now more aware that supermarkets like Sainsbury's, which claim to be GM free, are supporting huge imports of GM crops by selling milk from cows fed on GM products."
Official DEFRA figures compiled by Greenpeace reveal that a million tonnes of maize and soya is entering the country every year from countries that grow GM. Growing GM cops is harmful to the environment, leading to huge increases in the use of powerful chemicals on crops. The effects of the technology are unpredictable, and no reputable studies have been conducted into the safety of GM food.
Further Information
Contact the Greenpeace press office on 07801 212967 / 020 7865 8255
