The Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla has encountered and protested against the two nuclear freighters entering the Irish Sea today, 28 miles off the coast of Ireland, 20 miles off the coast of the UK.
The Pacific Pintail with its cargo of rejected plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel produced by British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), sailed close by yachts in the flotilla that had formed a line across the Irish Sea. The convergence of the ships and yachts took place at a point south east of County Wexford, Ireland, and south-west of Fishguard, in South Wales. The Pacific Pintail, after sailing 18,000 miles from Japan, passed the Noble Warrior yacht by less than 200 metres. A total of 4 out of the 9 boats in the flotilla succeeded in intercepting the nuclear shipment. In addition to the Pintail, its armed escort ship from Japan, Pacific Teal also sailed past the flotilla. During the day a RAF Nimrod aircraft together with a Royal Navy vessel, tracked the progress of the Rainbow Warrior and the flotilla as they neared the plutonium ships.
Two hours before the protest the captain of the Rainbow Warrior, via emergency radio channel 16 informed both nuclear transport ships, that the protest was peaceful, and that they would not interfere with the navigation of the vessels. Neither vessel responded, which is a breach of maritime safety regulations. Greenpeace informed the UK coastguard at Milford Haven of their failure to answer our calls.
The plutonium MOX was only shipped to Japan from the UK in 1999, but after arrival BNFL were forced to admit that they had deliberately falsified vital safety data. BNFL s deception has cost the UK taxpayer over 110 million pounds sterling as the UK Government and BNFL agreed to pay compensation to Japan and to cover transportation costs. Since the falsification scandal, BNFL has declared itself bankrupt, and yet the Government maintains its support for BNFL.
"My taking part in this peaceful protest so stop plutonium operations at Sellafield has already been very rewarding. The Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla has representatives from Wales, Ireland, Scotland, The Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We have come together to express our concerns and I have found real encouragement from discovering our common interests on these issues," said Paul Barrett, skipper of the yacht Tuscair, one of the Flotilla members.
The Flotilla is part of a global movement to stop the nuclear reprocessing industry from producing and trading in weapons- usable plutonium. British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) and the French company COGEMA which operate reprocessing plants, have amassed more than 150,000 kilograms of plutonium so far at their respective nuclear sites. Both companies hope to secure plutonium MOX fuel contracts with Japan. If successful it would mean as many 100 plutonium sea shipments. However, Japan s nuclear program is in crisis with plans to use plutonium MOX fuel frozen by its largest nuclear company, Tokyo Electric. Opposition to the plutonium program in Japan has grown significantly since the original falsification scandal in 1999 with the Government and utilities under pressure to abandon their controversial program.
"This plutonium MOX should never have been shipped to Japan in the first place in 1999. If they had their way it would now be loaded into a nuclear reactor increasing the risks of a catastrophic nuclear accident, " said Shaun Burnie, Greenpeace International Nuclear Campaigner on board the Rainbow Warrior. "The people in Japan know this and are committed to stopping any further business with Japan. The UK Government which continues to support BNFL and the trade in bomb-material needs to stop this madness before there is a disaster." Burnie added.
Since leaving Japan on July 4th, over 80 Governments have condemned this shipment citing environmental, security and safety concerns. Protests along the transport route included a South Pacific/Tasman Sea flotilla between New Zealand and Australia. Governments along the route have demanded that the vessels not enter their 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone. The two ships are bound for Barrow-in-Furness, where their cargo of plutonium MOX will be unloaded and transported to the nuclear complex at Sellafield. BNFL has no intention to do anything with the plutonium MOX other than to dump it along with the other 70- 80,000 kilograms of plutonium currently in store at Sellafield.
The two ships will be greeted by protests from other boats in the Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla, when it arrives at 9am Tuesday morning in Barrow-in- Furness, BNFL' s homeport.
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