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| A Greenpeace protester hangs a banner from an oil rig in Cromarty Firth, Scotland |
Enterprise Oil has sought an interdict (a Scottish injunction) against Greenpeace to remove two climbers that are currently occupying the Jack Bates oil rig on the Cromarty Firth. The occupation is part of a campaign to protect marine life in the north east Atlantic and stop dangerous climate change. The company are claiming one million pounds damages for the rig occupation and will place an application for an interdict before a Scottish High Court this morning.
The Jack Bates an exploration oil rig chartered by Enterprise Oil Plc on behalf of Enterprise, Exxon and Mobil - was occupied on Sunday morning (26/3/00) by two Greenpeace volunteers who attached themselves to one of the rig's anchor chains. The rig was due to leave its winter anchorage on Sunday to begin drilling operations in the deep waters west of the Hebrides (the so called 'Atlantic Frontier') which is Europe's most important habitat for whales and coral reefs. The drilling area was the subject of a successful legal challenge by Greenpeace in the English High Court in November 1999.
Aside from the possibility of a major oil spill, Enterprise Oil has admitted that it will dump over a thousand tonnes of toxic drill cuttings and chemicals into the sea. The area being developed is just 75 miles from the islands of St Kilda and 60 miles from the 'Darwin Mounds' coral reefs [3].
The Department of Trade and Industry issued a statement yesterday (26/3/00) concerning the exploration work of Enterprise Oil concluding that:
"there is no environmental risk from this kind of exploration". However, this statement contradicts the conclusions of the judge in Greenpeace's successful legal challenge against the government's licensing of oil developments in the Atlantic Frontier.
In his judgement, Mr Justice Maurice Kay told the court that Greenpeace's case that whales and dolphins can be harmed by oil industry activity was "substantially uncontradicted" by government and oil industry evidence, and that oil exploration was "at least likely" to have an "adverse effect" on deep water coral reefs.
Notes to Editors:
[1] The Atlantic Frontier has been described as a "whale motorway" for migrating species, and has also been revealed as an important breeding and feeding ground for many whales and dolphins. Some 21 species of whale and dolphin are found there including endangered blue and fin whales and vulnerable sperm and humpback whales.
[2] In November 1999 the Government was defeated by Greenpeace in a landmark legal ruling to protect coral reefs and whales and dolphins. The English High Court ruling means that all future offshore oil licensing is now illegal until the government properly applies the EU Habitats Directive. However, the Government is allowing drilling to go ahead even though the Habitats legislation required by the High Court ruling has not been implemented.
In his judgement, Mr Justice Maurice Kay told the court that Greenpeace's case that whales and dolphins can be harmed by oil industry activity was "substantially uncontradicted" by Government and oil industry evidence, and that oil exploration was "at least likely" to have an "adverse effect" on deep water coral reefs.
Greenpeace's case centred on the UK Government's decision to only apply the EU Habitat Directive up to 12 miles from the coast rather than the 200 mile limit where it licenses oil drilling. The judge said that the government had "clearly" not applied the Habitats Directive offshore.
[3] The government has agreed that the Darwin Mounds coral reefs should be protected as a Special Area of Conservation but has so far failed to do so. St Kilda is Britain's only natural World Heritage Site and one of the most important breeding sites in the world for seabirds. Its population of over one million birds includes the world's largest gannetry and the largest puffin colony in the east Atlantic
