Greenpeace hijacks bulk cargo ship

I bring yet another somewhat older piece of news.  Surprisingly, I actually saw very little of this in the mainstream press.  Greenpeace is stirring it up down under, albeit relatively peacefully.  They hijacked the Hong Kong registered bulk cargo ship East Ambition that was carrying palm kernel from Indonesia, destined for the port of Tauranga in New Zealand.  14 protesters boarded the ship and secured themselves in various areas about the ship to prevent it from mooring or anchoring in Tauranga and unloading its cargo of palm kernels.  Greenpeace is protesting the ship specifically for its cargo.  Greenpeace is accusing the importers of the palm kernel of “Climate Crime” and attributes their trade to the mass destruction of rainforests, occurring primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia.  The importer of the palm kernels was reportedly Fonterra which is a large, multi-national dairy co-op based in New Zealand, controlling 30% of the world’s dairy exports.  The New Zealand based Greenpeace organization has been targeting Fonterra for its role in importing palm kernels. Palm kernels are used as a feed additive for cattle.

Fonterra’s involvement in rainforest destruction and the massive climate impact this causes is criminal,” said Jo McVeagh an activist locked to one of the cranes.

The protesters were eventually removed from the ship by the local authorities and taken into custody.  They are being charged with illegally boarding a ship according to New Zealand laws.  Some local farmers have called for piracy charges to be laid against the protesters.

On a side note, I didn’t see too much information out there on how exactly the protesters got on board the ship in the first place.  Did they board quietly while the ship was at anchor?  Did they threaten the ship? Greenpeace posted several video’s on the Flickr photostream, one of which shows them climbing on board the anchor chain, another shows them at a pilot ladder alongside the ship.

For More:

The Southland Times (NZ) – 14 Greenpeace protesters removed after boarding ship

The New Zealand Herald – All 14 protesters removed from ship

Greenpeace – Greenpeace stops palm kernel shipment coming into Tauranga

Greenpeace Blog