April 29, 2005
MV Esperanza has left the area
... but we will be back, and continue our work to save the Lofoten islands.
Posted by Irene at 7:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
April 27, 2005
"It was this big"
Today the sun shine in Bodø brought all out on deck to paint. Mates where perched high up on scaffolding, whitening the bridge face superstructure. One independent member of the crew went around stencilling the names on all the fresh and dry, painted ventilators. There is one such ventilator on deck that resembles a toad stool and I have heard talk of a resident gnome that has taken to this nomadic life style.
Jorge and I, buffed and painted the ship side. Kevin Bell was tucked in between the funnels and there seemed to be more paint on him than the ship. The tanks overflowed with fresh water and the salt ran away down the scupper pipes. All this was set before the snow covered mountains of Norway. When I looked up at the Esperanza from the quayside she seemed ready to sail beyond latitude and longitude and into a new era of time. She is looking beautiful, hull blue and rainbow bright, this Polish built Princess in her twentieth year of grace.
As the deck crew painted in the sun, the Norwegian speaking campaign team invited passers by to come on board and view the ship. In the Heli-hanger information was available relating to the campaign. An old man wearing a sailors cap strolled along the quay, he came up to me and stopped. I was painting the shiny bare metal spots on the ship's side - her first layer of undercoat. We got talking and I discovered that he had been a fisherman for thirty years and had fished off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. His arms opened wide in describing the size of the fish he once caught, yet the description was not accurate enough and so he directed one hand to indicate the ground whilst the other held high in the air, "Den var saa stor" he said to me. I had to start laughing. Then his thumbs went up for saving the cod and a hand waved, "far away from the coast", to the oil tankers that travel up and down. He gave a belly laugh that helped the paint dry more quickly. We where communicating in sounds that made no sense, yet all meaning was clear. Today the conclusion of the Esperanza's role in another campaign.
Goodbye Nordic team, we turn our gaze towards the west coast of Scotland. And with a toot toot from the ships whistle we set sail.
Mike Mate
Posted by Irene at 5:31 PM | TrackBack
April 24, 2005
We obey the hand and Mike hears angels
Vie
Today it's Sunday, which is normally the crew's day off. Some of the guys and gals onboard are in their bunks, reading a book or watching movies out of the ships extensive DVD collection. But if you look out on the starboard side, you will notice a few pretty soaked individuals, staring at a little window in a container, motionless. All of a sudden, they simultaneously start moving, pulling an orange cable. Then stop. Nobody moves, staring at window. Then action again, pulling up or letting down. Stop. Stare. Pull. If you move a little bit closer you will see that there is a hand visible in the window, giving signs: up - down - stop.
We follow, as if we were a strange sort if cult. This has been going on for a couple of days now, in between oil tanker demonstrations, ever since the ROV broke down. Rain comes in horizontally. It is not entirely silent, there is quite a bit of giggling going on, and pretty bad singing in French, Norwegian, Swedish and English, sometimes all of them at once. Up. Stop. Up. Stop. Down. Fairly simple. But someone has to keep an eye on the ship, the wind and the waves. Below is chief mate Mike's account of yesterday's near disaster:
The Esperanza floats above the edge of the continental shelf, twenty miles to the north west of Andenes, Norway. Below us the sea bed drops in a vicious decent from a depth of one hundred meters to over a thousand, within a horizontal distance of about three miles. We are here fishing for photos, images of soft cold water corals and sponges, to prove the existence of an environment worth saving.
The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is normally used for this kind of work but it fell to the pressure of the deep and burst a seal last week at a depth of around 300 meters. All we have left is an uncontrollable long line with a camera at the mercy of the currents and ships drift. The camera is launched on the windward side so as to stop the ship being blown over the long yellow cables and fouling the propeller. We attach it to something that resembles a diving cage, then lower it down on a steel wire rope that runs off an electric winch. The long bright yellow cable of the camera follows, being fed by three pairs of deck hands.
The wind blows from the southwest and we drift sideways at 2,5 knots. I call down to the launching station, the ship is in position. By the time the cage with camera is in the water we have already drifted out over the drop off, we haul in the line and I reposition the ship. The idea is to start shooting at 100 meters and film the steep side of the canyon. The camera can go to a depth of 300 meters. Back in position, the camera is lowered away, the picture coming back is of a devastated ocean floor with deeply scoured marks from the heavy chains and gates-( 6 tonne steel doors to keep nets open), that are dragged along the bottom by trawler's. Again we are drifting too fast to get a good image.
This has been going on all day, picking up, dropping, picking up, re-positioning. This time I tried slowing the swift drift by gently going astern. Ships however have the tendency of their stern to seek the wind when going backwards, and that is exactly what we did. It did slow things down and the picture improved in quality, but then we swung too far and the wind caught us from the starboard side and started blowing the ship over the cable. I was running backwards and forwards onto the bridge this whole time watching the cable, watching the wind, the ship and the speed through the water compared to that over the ground.
Wheel hard over to port, I gave a good burst ahead on the starboard engine so as to swing the ship- to get the wind back onto the operating side. Of course an engine going ahead not only turns a ship but also causes it to go forward, the cable was beginning to angle dangerously towards the stern and the propellers. I rushed into the wheelhouse, let the phone to the engine control room ring three times then lifted the cover to the bright red button on the consol marked Emergency Stop Port Main Engine. I could hear the alarms starting to ring from somewhere deep within the ship as I pushed it. I imagined engineer's running off to find out what was happening.
The manoeuvre had worked however and the wind was back on the right side, we where once again being blown away from the cable, or where we. From the bridge I could see the wire rope of the cage leading out to sea off the beam, perfect but where was the camera cable, it was coming along with us? The long haired German camera man, Frank looked up from the deck, worry written into the lines of his face. The camera cable was tight against the side of the ship and leading in the direction of the propellers. My heart sank and I ran to call the captain. The team on deck continued to retrieve the cage with the winch and wire rope. All we could do now was watch as it slowly came up from the depths below, my only wish was that it was caught around the port propeller which I had stopped and not the starboard that was still running, I called the engine room asking them to check temperatures, and explained my worst fears. The cage came out of the water with camera still attached, but its bright three hundred meter yellow cable was still fast around the propeller, the launching team kept hauling now from the loose end of the camera. This had all happened over a short period of minutes, on my very first watch back on board the Esperanza. Home was a long way away now, I was back at sea in the thick of things and the salt tasted fine.
Then suddenly, a miracle, the line came fell away from the shipside and was all hauled onto the deck. The roar of the wind in our faces subsided and the sea became calm, for a moment I heard the sound of angels' voices. Then came the good news that the camera still worked, there had been no damage to the cable. I was off the hook and the cable off the propeller, we were ready to roll again.
- Mike, Chief Mate
Posted by Irene at 7:40 PM | TrackBack
April 23, 2005
Another oil tanker respect our demands
Today we contacted the Norwegian oil tanker Bregen on its way from Murmansk to Europe with 13.000 tonnes of oil.
After an hour of negotiations and explanation of the need to protect this sensitive coastline, also this tanker chose to follow our request to stay further off the Lofoten coastline, even though this is not yet required by law.
The recent developments show that it is completely possible to enforce sailing lines further off the coast, and that the tanker captains accept and understand the reason for this need.
According to Norwegian radio journalists, the Fisheries Minister Svein Ludvigsen, who is responsible for coastal transport, refused to comment on the issue of coastal safety and tanker traffic. He has insisted that the coastal safety is good as it is. This is a view that is not shared by the members of the public in the Lofoten area that we have been in touch with. Also the Norwegian Fisheries Union demands oil traffic to pass further out from the coastline, to avoid oil pollution and reduce risk of collision with fishing vessels.
From April 1, the Norwegian Government reduced the tugboat capacity from three to two vessels covering the entire 1500 km coastline from Lofoten to the Russian border. This is far less than the minimum estimate from the coastal authority as long as the traffic is allowed to pass as close to shore as only 12 nautical miles.
Posted by Irene at 10:53 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
April 22, 2005
Voices from Lofoten
Here is a translation of some of the conversations we've had with people in Lofoten.
Nina Pedersen works at a fish processing plant.
She is 26 years old, born and raised at Røst, as far out as you can go on the Lofoten islands. Røst is a small community of around 600 people, completely depending on fishing. In the wintertime the population grows to almost the double, when fishermen arrive from all over Norway for the winter fishing.
There are very few fisherwomen - it is a trade dominated by men. Nina only knows three women amongst about 500 fishermen. She has herself never been out in a fishing boat, although she lived out here almost all her life. Most women work in the fish processing plants, as does Nina. It is generally more difficult for women to find jobs out here, which leads to that more women than men leave the island. Nina smiles at our question about the possibilities of finding a partner out here youve known most people all your life. Nina met her husband in Bodø where she lived for while. He moved back with her to the island.
Let the oil be where it is
Ole Berglund from Ballstad, skipper of the Ole Inge.
The fisherman Ole Berglund sets lines with his wife on the middle-sized boat Ole Inge. Since the Barents cod has not migrated into the West fjord as it usually does, the couple went out to Røst to fish. Before Easter there was almost 600 small and middle-sized boats from all over the country out here. By now most of them went home or continued to the spring fishing further north near Finnmark. When the weather is as rough as the day we meet Ole and his wife they have to stay in port.
- I am very sceptic to oil drilling. You take it up, and then there is none left. If we would have an accident you know, they always say its safe, but it isnt, and they cant guarantee 110% that nothing will go wrong. The oil leak right now in the Barents shows that this thing with zero emission is only a theory that doesnt hold in reality. If it goes wrong, be it here in Lofoten or in the Barents sea, which are spawning grounds for fish, it is not good.
People in the labour organisation up here only argue for oil, and forget how many members they actually have in the fishing community, and how important this trade is for the area. Jus look at what happened in Sandnessjøen, how many jobs did they get? Only a few, after the municipality put in millions! But think about the outcome of the fishery here in Lofoten! Many times greater than oil will ever be able to create up here. Who takes this into account?
- We must leave the oil where it is. The country grows poorer the more we pump. Before you could afford everything, now, with billions in the wallet, you cant afford anything. The oil should stay where it is. And it wont be worth less if you wait a few generations before you bring it up. If we do manage the fishery in a good way, it will create a lot of work opportunities.
Berglund also agrees that the idea of a fishing fleet against the oilrig Eirik Raude sounds like a good idea, if the e rig comes up here again after its emissions in the Barents Sea last winter. If that happens he is not reluctant to participate the oil should be left where it is.
Lacking safety along the coast
- Ive said it before and I am saying it again: we have no capacity for oil disasters in this country. Just look at the Fjord Champion that had problems at Sørlandet, it went straight into the coastline before a tugboat arrived. Here it is even worse: the shipping lanes are placed right inside the 12 nautical mile limit, straight through the fishing grounds, instead of further out on the open sea.
- We think that the tanker traffic should be moved 40-50 nautical miles off the coast. The tugboats will have time to give assistance if needed, in time before there is an accident.
Berglund also raises criticism against the fact that the coast guard vessels focus on inspecting old fishermen getting some salmon inside the fjords instead of concentrating on the more important and serious over fishing in the Barents Sea.
Fisheries minister Ludvigsen and the interests of the big fishing companies
Soon there will be only a few people who own the rights to fish in Norway. This is a dangerous development. All fishermen should have the right to fish, then it should be up to them to decide if it is profitable or not.
- Some have already sold their whole quota or parts of it. It is almost impossible to follow. If I die, the quota is withdrawn. Not even my wife can take over, the Government takes it. The fisheries minister gives out the new eternal fishing rights to the shipping companies, and then it doesnt matter if someone dies. Thats the difference!
- Ludvigsen only look after the interests of the big shipping companies, and the same goes for the Norwegian Fishermens Union. There is a battle between the coastal fishermen and the big ship owners within the Union. We should all be treated the same way, but we are not.
- A lot of strange things are happening with structures, buying, selling etc. If you want to buy in you need the resources, it is all about money and speculation. That Ludvigsen is so arrogant you develop malaria!
- The trawler fleet was supposed to complement the coastal fleet, but thats not how it works anymore. The factory trawlers are an even bigger problem, since they dont even deliver ashore they dont bring anything back to the coastal communities! The original plan was for them to fish in foreign waters as if it would be better to steal someone elses fish at a far away place.
- In addition there are trawlers so big - double and triple trawls - with that gear you can empty the Barents Sea spawning grounds for small fish should be closed for fishing altogether, also for the coastal fishing fleet. If you ruin what is growing, you dont get much back!
Do they think we live out here only for the money?
Øystein Røymo from Røst, skipper of the Røstværing
Øystein Røymo is a fisherman from Røst with strong opinions. This year they finished their quota already before easter, and the Røstværing with its crew of three people has been alongside ever since.
- There is not an awful lot of cod to work with. This year weve had only a third of the quota we used to have. The quotas have been transferred to bigger vessels. We used to have a crew of five men, now we are three and should be only two men to have a reasonable income. The fishing rights have been relocated to bigger boats. Now the Government offers to buy them back, I cant see the logic behind this, but perhaps the bureaucrats do?
- There is less cod every year. We are convinced that the fishing pressure is to blame. This year we had some bigger fish, but that is probably because we got a lot of coastal cod this winter. [Editor: scientists claim that the coastal cod is threatened. When the Barents cod doesnt go into the west fjord, like this year, fishing on local coastal cod increases.]
It is obvious that the fishing pressure is too high. In addition we know that the Russians take up to 150-200 000 tonnes over their allocated quotas. In total this is far above the scientific advice, and makes the prize of cod lower on the market.
People live along this coast because fishing has been free and we have been able to establish freely. Now all of a sudden these old rights are sold to the highest bidder.
What do you think of the plans for oil drilling in Lofoten?
- It would be dreadful if they start drilling for oil. There is enough in the world. We can wait for a lot of years. We have to be clear that all the important species of fish spawn in this area. It would be devastating. No, I am completely against oil drilling in this area!
- Tanker traffic is another matter. We have fought for many years within the Fishermens Union to move the shipments further out to have a chance to prevent disasters from happening. We have demanded that all oil tanker traffic should be at 30, preferably 40 nautical miles off the coast. We fail to understand why the Norwegian authorities cant put the pressure on to move these tankers further out, we just cant understand.
- We dont trust that the readiness for dealing with oil accidents and the tugboat capacity is good enough. We also feel that all those who have guarded the coast are disappearing: the lighthouse keepers disappear and the smaller coast guard vessels are sold or scrapped. The coast guard only have a few big ships. It goes without saying that the capacity is far from enough.
Have you been consulted in the Government planning process for Lofoten and the Barents Sea?
- No, we havent been asked about anything, its as iF we werent really a part of society, we keep getting run over. Money rules, and often we dont know about the plans before they are already decided upon.
The authorities should know that people dont live up here by the coast only for the money. We live here because we like living here, having work right outside our doorstep and dont have to work on the clock. Thats why we live here. Otherwise we wouldnt. Many politicians and bureaucrats dont understand that.
Posted by Irene at 7:55 PM | TrackBack
April 20, 2005
Another oil tanker changes course
Message from the bridge around 13.00: another oil tanker spotted on our radar. The German owned and Isle of Man flagged tanker Weichselstern was heading south along the Norwegian coast.
We decided to launch our inflatable boats, the Grey Whale and the African Queen, to escort the tanker further out.
Although the Grey Whale hit the waves pretty hard at times, Maaikes smooth manoeuvring made the voyage less uncomfortable than it could have been.
Over the radio we again explained our demands and asked the vessel to change course and head further out to keep a safe distance to the vulnerable Lofoten coast. The crew of the Weichselstern was at first reluctant to follow our demands. They were reasonable and could understand our concerns, but they always follow this route as the regulations still allow them to do at only 12 nautical miles off the coast. Nonetheless - after about an hour of negotiations - they agreed to move further out, and we could head back to the Esperanza. The Weichselstern ended the conversation by wishing us good luck with our campaign!
We will keep patrolling the area, so stay tuned.
Posted by Irene at 7:50 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
April 19, 2005
Swedish tanker respected our demands for a tanker free zone
We are still patrolling the coast of Lofoten, demanding tankers to keep 50 nautical miles between themselves and the coast. Today we encountered the condensate tanker Bro Juno from Sweden.
The Bro Juno carries gasoline condensate, a light oil fraction that is highly toxic to fish eggs and other marine life. We called the vessel on the radio. After having explained our demands they accepted to change the course, and the captain promised to keep the suggested distance.
The tanker traffic represents a severe and unacceptable risk of serious accidents that may ruin this whole sensitive coastline. The Norwegian Government must take immediate action at an international level in order to redirect all hazardous traffic to a safer distance from the coastline. What are they waiting for?
Posted by Irene at 7:51 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Norwegian cold-water corals to be or not to be?
In Norway it is forbidden to trawl on coral reefs. There is just one problem: less than 10% of the Norwegian seabed is properly mapped, and if the coral reef is not on the map, you can just trawl away!
The fishing is often good around these underwater forests, but the lines get stuck in the corals and you destroy the nets. So what to do?
Fishermen on Røst told us how they in the 70s witnessed the big trawlers deliberately destroy of the reefs: they put down the trawl, without the net, and dragged it across the reef, back and forth, to crush the corals. Ta-daa: nice and flat - no more corals - no more nets getting stuck!
Where it was not possible to fish even with lines you can now set nets, the fishermen told us. In 2002, after two decades of bottom trawling, the biggest cold-water reef on the planet was discovered outside Røst, the size of Manhattan. Makes me wonder what it had looked like before the big trawlers came into the picture.
So we decided to go and see what is really down there. We are now drifting on the outer edge of Skatskallen bank, 15 miles off the Vesterålen islands. Wolf and Frank, our German ROV-team, started by lowering a little underwater camera. We now operate with the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to check the seabed. It can be a bit complicated, depending on currents and wind, but today the weather is good. We have this little container on deck, with all sorts of screens and buttons, from which Wolf can steer the ROV and see what the camera picks up. Its all very high-tech and reminds me of these stakeout vans you always see in American action movies.
(We are currently within range for the GPRS card, so that I can be online although the connection is a little bit dodgy. It helps to stand on the bridge on one leg and sing the theme from Popeye.)
Posted by Irene at 10:33 AM | TrackBack
April 17, 2005
Tanker free zone!
Today we left Ramberg, and headed out to sea. Over the next days we will patrol the sea area outside the Lofoten Islands and alert all passing oil tankers to keep 50 miles off the sensitive coastline.
From April 1, the Norwegian Government reduced the tugboat capacity from three to two vessels covering the entire 1500 km coastline from Lofoten to the Russian border. This is far less than the minimum estimate from the coastal authority; as long as the traffic is allowed to pass as close to shore as only 12 nautical miles.
Oil tanker traffic along the Norwegian coast between Russia and Europe has increased dramatically over the last few years, and is expected to increase even further in the future. The northern Norwegian ocean and coastline is extremely sensitive to oil pollution. Millions of seabirds, the worlds largest healthy cod stock as well as numerous other fish and marine mammals breed, spawn and nest in this area.
This weekend, an estimated amount of 400.000 pairs of puffins re-colonised the puffin colony at Røst, far West in the Lofoten Island chain. An oil tanker accident close to Røst in this time of year may wipe out this entire population and cover the entire Lofoten coast with oil within few days.
Posted by Irene at 8:25 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Women behind Coastal Uproar
Lena Amalie Hamnes and May Britt Solhaug are the driving forces behind the newly formed network: Kysten til kamp (fight for the coast). They point out that the costal and fishing politics cannot only be viewed as an closed area for experts from the fishing industry and welcomes broader perspectives and participation.
"Urbanisation and the urban market is an advantage for healthy and sustainable fishing communities, because unpolluted fish is healthy, and highly educated consumers in urban areas demand healthy and ecological food", says Lena Amalie Hamnes.
But the women don't believe that concerned consumers in Stockholm, Oslo or Berlin think about the communities in the costal areas along the Norwegian coast while they are shopping. "These people want first class fish. The costal fleet is sustainable and delivers the best quality of fresh fish. That the costal fleet also provides prosperity, employment and adds significantly to the culture along the coast makes this a win-win situation", says Hamnes.
With a number of stories about the faith of the coast under current coastal policy in Norway's biggest newspapers, the women-led network has managed to place fisheries policy back on the national political agenda in Norway within a year. Their main demand is a living coast and reversal of current centralized decisions.
The fisheries are Norway's second biggest industry after oil. Fishery is critical for the costal communities and exports for around 30 billions a year.
"The fishing policy concerns all Norwegians and can't be just an arena for the veterans in the business. Why can't Norway make a strategic choice and become the worlds most sustainable ethical and commercial deliver of fresh fish?" asks Lena Hamnes.
Hamnes is very critical to oil-drilling in Lofoten, and suggests the environmental movement should focus more on the economic values from fishery that are in jeopardy if the oil industry is allowed to take over, to be able to win this battle.
More info: www.kystentilkamp.com
Posted by Irene at 7:20 PM | TrackBack
More pictures!
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| © Greenpeace/Christian Åslund | |||
Posted by Irene at 3:49 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 15, 2005
Captain Frank's letter to Lofoten
Lofoten. Why are these Islands called Lofoten? I have asked a few Norwegians why it was called Lofoten and I haven't had a good straight answer yet. About 20 years ago someone told me that Lofoten means 'Lion feet' - "Lo" for Lynx and "Foten" for foot. Looking at the chart that could make sense.
But we are not here to find out why these islands are called Lofoten. We are here because this is one of the last pristine areas in Europe that hasn't yet been destroyed by greedy moneymaking fellow human beings.
Last week we left Scheveningen in Holland (I also wonder why Scheveningen is called Scheveningen). We left Holland (where absolutely nothing is natural) and sailed for 5 days North. When we entered the West Fjord we saw the snowy mountains on our starboard side with the early morning sun giving it more beautiful colours than some of us had ever seen before in our lives.
A few hours later we passed the breakwaters of Svolvær with the statue of the fishermans wife overlooking the sea and right behind her we saw the racks with drying torsk (cod). That is why I am here: to make sure that when I sail into Svolvær again 20 years from now (hopefully on a small sailing boat) those racks with drying torsk are still there like they have been already for at least hundreds of years.
I went for a walk in Svolvaer to have a look at the drying racks and I came across a skip with torsk heads, and some of them were bigger than the size of the complete cod I have seen being caught on the Viking bank near the Shetlands.
Shetlands...why are those islands called Shetlands? Who cares, what matters is that I see a lot a similarities with Lofoten. I am sure that 40 years ago there was not much difference between the two areas: both groups of islands, far away from the rest of the world, totally depending on what the sea gives.
Last journey we were with the Esperanza in Lerwick (Shetland), and yes, there were still a few local fishing boats but if you ask me they all looked a bit sad. But you know what looked good in the harbour? The brand new 60 meter 30.000000 Euro trawlers, all owned by one family.
It would be very very sad if next time I come to Svolvær all I can find is an newly built jetty for the big trawlers, empty drying racks and a skip with cod heads the size of a peanut if there are any at all.
But don't worry about your fisheries because the Oil Industry is coming to town. Who needs fishing? The Oil industry is a bit like Santa Claus, that brings presents so that you all can drive in a big car and knock down your traditional houses to build ugly fancy ones, like they did in Shetland, and what is even better: no more fish smell in Lofoten.
But as many communities have seen the oil industry will leave. And if you are lucky they will leave without a big oil spill here on the islands. Uncle Oil has left Shetland pretty much. Not without a huge oil spill. Hang on hang on, that's not fair, blaming Shetland oil industry for the Braer disaster. That oil came from... Norway.
Now we have tankers coming from Murmansk sailing along the Lofoten coast closer than the Braer was sailing south of Shetland. Shetland getting oil from Norway. big chance Lofoten gets oil from Murmansk sooner or later. Murmansk getting oil from?? I don't know yet. But I am sure the oil industry knows. Maybe it is not a bad idea to keep the tankers a bit further away from the Lofoten for the time being. Just in case.
So Lofoten people, here is the deal: 20 years from now I set sail from Scheveningen once again, in my small sailingboat, course North. After 5 days in the early morning I see mountains, with snow please, on my starboard side. A bit later I see Røst on my port side,
In the late afternoon I enter Svolvær, I salute the fishermans wife on the breakwater, and then I see the drying racks full of torsk, the harbour is still the same. I go for a walk to the drying racks and the size of the cod heads in the skip is still the same. I promise I won't steal any of YOUR torsk.
Regards Frank Kamp, Captain of the Esperanza
Posted by Irene at 1:33 PM | TrackBack
Northern lights
This is what northern lights look like over Lofoten, picture gallery, on request!
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Posted by Irene at 10:52 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
April 14, 2005
The Crew
Here are some of the people currently on board the Esperanza.
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| Frank | Natasha | Odin | Sari | |||
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| Serkan | Marc | Maaike | Pep | |||
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| Måns | Magali | Christian | Iréne | |||
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| François | Truls | Jorge | Ricardo | |||
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| Leon | Donald | Colin | ||||
Posted by Irene at 3:13 PM | TrackBack
Meeting fishermen
On Wednesday we held an open meeting at Røst to discusss oildrilling,
tanker traffic and over fishing. Around 30 fishermen and other locals
attended the meeting. Truls presented what we in Greenpeace perceive as the
most urgent threats against the environment in this area.
We got hard criticism from several attendants because of our earlier
protests against the whaling and seal hunting. Some demanded apologies for
the whole campaign before they would even listen to what we have to say in
other matters. Others were more pragmatic and could see the possibility to
work together on certain issues.
Many agreed that it is time for stronger opposition against the plans for
oil drilling, that the safety regulations for oil tankers passing the coast
is far from enough, and that over fishing is a problem. Trond Storåker who
earlier protested together with other environmental organisations, told us
he was ready to go out again. We hope others will join him.
Posted by Irene at 12:00 PM | TrackBack
April 13, 2005
Barents Sea drilling once again proven out of control
Yesterday Statoil confirmed a new accidental oil spill had happened during the controversial oil exploration drilling by Eirik Raude in the sensitive Barents Sea. 1600 litres of hydraulic oil in the red danger-category was discharged as results of a leaking pipeline onboard the rig.
The accident proves once again that oil drilling in these extremely sensitive ocean areas is unacceptable.
The controversial drilling operations with Eirik Raude in the Barents Sea have led to three uncontrolled discharges of oils and chemicals since February. February 8, a technical fault led to an accident that discharged 6 tonnes of drilling chemicals. A week after, on February 16, four tonnes of drilling liquids was discharged. On April 12, 1600 litres of hydraulic oil were lost to the sea.
While the other discharges were chemicals in the so-called "green" category, the hydraulic oil is toxic and persistent, and categorized as red chemical. Statoil had permission from the State Pollution Authority to discharge only 1 litre of the hydraulic oil over the entire drilling program.
Halt the drilling program!
Read Statoils statement after the accident at Eirik Raude in the Barents Sea: www.statoil.com/STATOILCOM/SVG00990.nsf/UNID/41256A3A0055DD31C1256FE10061F054?OpenDocument
Posted by Irene at 5:16 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
April 12, 2005
Esperanza sails off the map
We didn't fall off the edge of the world, but we went outside the map I prepared for you to see where we are!
We are now at the old fishing community of Røst, situated off the tip of the Lofoten islands. By now used to the more dramatic coastline I am surprised by how flat this place is - at a distance Røst looks like houses built straight on the water.
The horizon is only broken here and there by pointy little isles, many of them important habitats for puffins. People have been fishing here for hundreds and hundreds of years. Today about 600 people live here, and almost everybody gain their livelihood from small-scale fishing.
Its a bit tricky to get into this little port - captain Frank has been seen studying the charts with a magnifying glass, making jokes about looking as silly as Russel Crowe in Master and Commander.
We arrive in the afternoon and go alongside right next to a fish processing facility, some of the workers come out on the quayside. We jump ashore to have a chat with them. They are very friendly - they are also concerned about the plans for oil drilling out here. We chat with several fishermen along the quayside, and hand over information about this campaign. One of them say that it is about time that they let environmentalists take over management of this area!
Around Easter there were 600 fishing boats here at Røst, not only locals, but from all over Norway, which is more than usual. The cod did not go as far into the West Fjord as usual, but stopped out here at Røst, which made many coastal fishermen come all the way out here instead of fishing further in. There are different theories as to why this new pattern occurred: the temperature in these waters has changed, and perhaps too much fish was caught during the last few years.
If the weather permits well go out with a fishing boat very early tomorrow morning. We will also keep the ship open for visitors, and have an information meeting in the evening so it will be a busy day.
(I will make a new map, but now its soon bedtime!)
Posted by Irene at 9:22 PM | TrackBack
April 11, 2005
Thank Cod for Sari!
Yesterday evening an unusual event occurred, as our hero diver Sari went out to help some harbour workers to salvage their no longer so dry dried cargo.
My job as a marine biologist and oceans campaigner on board is more often aimed at saving marine creatures that are still alive than those that have already died. However, last night and this morning I have been struggling around a more unusual dilemma: how to lift up 150 kilos of dried cod worth over 2400 euros from under the Esperanza? The harbour workers dropped three bags of this local produce into the sea whilst loading a container and were quite keen to get the ships divers to help them out.
So off I went, as the only diver on board with equipment for the time being this was going to be a lone task.
Fortunately the water wasnt too deep and the visibility is great here so we deemed it safe enough for me to venture down solo. The seabed was covered in fish bones and skeletons and as the sun was setting already, it created quite an eerie atmosphere. No time to let the imagination run wild! I found the bags but they were too big and bulky for me to lift them up using my own buoyancy and all attempts to wrap ropes around them failed. So this morning with fresh brains we decided to use a net to put them on to and an inflatable at surface pulling them up.
This worked perfect and soon the harbour workers had all their goodies back and I was off warming my fingers with a hot cup of coffee. All the fish is going to be good to sell still, they just need to be dried up again for a while - thanks to the clean water quality around here!
There are drilling plans around the Lofotens from big oil companies such as Shell. Oil exploration not only poses a threat to the environment from operational and incidental releases or blow outs, but the day to day operation of the platforms also result in chronic chemical pollution of a wide range of highly toxic chemicals. This is not acceptable, especially in an area ecologically as important as the Lofotens. The all-important breeding ground to the number one renewable resource of Norway the cod.
- Sari Tolvanen, Marine biologist
Sari heading for the sauna after work well done.
Spot Sari!
Sari getting assistance from Donald
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April 10, 2005
On the right track
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| Brad talking to visitors on the Esperanza. |
On Saturday we had an open ship day in Svolvær, the largest town in the region, and an important one for the fishing industry. We had over 100 people visit the ship, including local fishermen, school children, the coast guard and tourists. Everyone agreed that the region is under serious threat from increasing oil tanker traffic, over-fishing and bad fisheries policy. Most people say that the pressure to open up the region for oil drilling is a disaster waiting to happen for the local fishing industry and the natural environment.
The message we are getting from coastal fishermen is that the deep-sea trawling fleet, operating in the Barents Sea with increasingly large quotas and illegal activities, poses a real threat to the fish stocks that are critical for the survival of fishermen in the Lofoten region. Most consider our demands for closure of large areas to destructive fishing practices, factory trawlers and oil development as reasonable. We have also been informed by both fishermen and the coast guard that the problems of illegal fishing, illegal transfers at sea to freighters, as well as illegal dumping of target fish in favour of better quality fish is more widespread and serious that we had thought.
Today we sailed to Gravdal some two hours southwest of Svolvær where we will have an open ship tomorrow, continue our dialogue with the public and end off the day with a public presentation and meeting with local residents at the Gravdal school for fisheries management.
- Brad Smith, oceans campaigner
Posted by Irene at 11:01 PM | TrackBack
Photo gallery
Check out a few pictures from the first days in Lofoten!
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Posted by Irene at 8:17 PM | TrackBack
April 7, 2005
MV Esperanza arrives in Lofoten
Svolvaer/Lofoten/Norway
On the opening day of the largest Norwegian coastal fisheries exhibition, the Greenpeace-ship Esperanza arrives in the Lofoten Islands and challenges coastal communities to engage in dialogue on marine management. This scenic and pristine area where cod has been harvested sustainably for more than 1000 years is under increasing threat from oil tanker traffic, planned oil exploration and increased pressure from destructive fisheries.
Millions of seabirds nest and breed in the Lofoten and Barents Sea area, and numerous species of fish, marine mammals and a diverse array of benhthic life including unique deep-water corals are to be found living in these waters. The Norwegian-Arctic cod stock is the last remaining large, healthy cod stock in the world.
Greenpeace will collect feedback from fishermen and coastal communities, and help them getting their voices heard in the Norwegian Governments ongoing process to establish an Integrated Management Plan for the Lofoten and Barents Sea. Traditionally, Greenpeace has been seen viewed negatively by local people in Lofoten, primarily over our opposition to Norwegian whaling. However, both fishermen and environmentalists agree that better marine management is needed in this area that is so dependent on a living ocean for its livelihood.
Greenpeace fears that the Norwegian Governments much heralded Integrated Management Plan for the Lofoten and Barents Sea areas may become a meaningless document that only opens sensitive areas for oil drilling, without doing anything for better management of immediate and long-term environmental threats to this sensitive and scenic area. If done correctly, this Norwegian oceans management approach may become an important global example for countries serious about their Biodiversity Convention commitments to stop biodiversity loss in ocean areas.
Coastal communities in Norway are being increasingly marginalized and ignored by a government that instead favours the interests of large oil and fishing corporations with their environmentally threatening activities. Clean and healthy oceans are essential for our planets survival. The Lofoten and Barents Sea areas are among the last relatively pristine marine habitats on Earth. There is still time to keep it like this, and not create another degraded and industrialised North Sea.
According to the FAO, up to 70% of global commercial fish stocks are already wiped out or threatened . While 12% of the Norwegian landmass has protected area status, less than one percent of the Norwegian ocean areas are protected. The same applies across all oceans in the world. At the moment, destructive activities are allowed at sea that would be deemed criminal on land.
An Integrated Management Plan for Lofoten and Barents Sea: An opportunity that must not be lost
The State of the Worlds Fisheries and Aquaculture 2004. FAO, Rome 2004: www.fao.org/sof/sofia/index_en.htm
Posted by Irene at 1:09 AM | TrackBack
April 5, 2005
Map of unique ocean areas in Lofoten and the Barents Sea
The entire region of Lofoten and the Batents Sea is exceptionally rich, clean, productive and vulnerable in a global context. If we compare the region with other regions, such as for example the North Sea, we find that the biodiversity values and uniqueness of this northern region are in an entirely different league. Below, and on the map, you will find a short outline of the areas within this arctic region that stand out as extra special. While a more detailed scientific understanding about these areas is still needed, we know enough to say that they are all vulnerable to oil spills and may be destroyed by destructive and excessive fishing practices, two threats that are currently on the increase.
[Click on the map to see more details on the area]
1. Ofoten Tysfjorden Vestfjorden:
Extreme concentration of environmental values. Currents and diverse ocean bottom and fjord systems cause an accumulation of plankton. This plankton serves as a food base for spawning Norwegian-Arctic cod, costal cod and haddock. Herring and killer whales over-winter in this area, which has a unique ecology, a strong cultural tradition and is a driving force in the Barents Seas ecosystem.
2. Røstbanken Eggakanten Andfjorden:
Key area in the lifecycles of cod, haddock and herring. Here, as with Vestfjorden, you will find a concentration of marine life the most vulnerable stage of its lifecycle. The foundation of the Norwegian-Arctic cod stock is laid here, which in turn forms the basis for the breeding and over-wintering of an array of seabirds along the entire northern coast. The steep Eggakanten (continental shelf edge) with its strong currents is home to a number of corrals and sponges (the rainforests of the sea) and is an important area for sperm whales.
3. Tromsøflaket Lopphavet:
Plankton, along with larvae and fish young from spawnings further south, accumulate on the shallow banks of Tromsøflaket. The area is thus critical for the vulnerable stages of the lifecycle of many fish species. Capelin spawn along the coast. Large colonies of sponges and corals support many fish species. The high density of eggs, larvae and young fish makes this an important area for seabirds, many of which hunt for food as far out as 100km offshore. The bird colonies on Fugleøyene, Loppa, Hjelmsøya og Gjesværstappan stand out as important areas.
4. Tanafjorden Kongsfjorden Varangerfjorden:
Very important spawning ground for Capelin. Large populations of breeding, migrating and over-wintering seabirds. The Tana river is the countrys premier salmon river, and Varangerfjorden is the only east-artic species fjord in Norway.
5. Eggakanten (continental shelf edge):
Cold and warm water merge along Eggakanten which creates a high production potential. The currents make Eggakanten an ideal spot for sponges and corrals. The reefs function as a growth habitat, hiding place and food store, and there is usually more fish here than in the surrounding areas. The reefs are subject to destruction by trawling. Greenland halibut spawn here.
6. Southern Barents:
Banks and shallows with high primary production and biodiversity due to the polar front, where the Atlantic and polar bodies of water merge. Habitat for seabirds, cod, capelin and haddock.
7. Bjørnøya (Bear Island) area:
Bjørnøya is a unique and isolated island on a highly productive sea shelf, surrounded by the polar front, the ice edge and shallow banks. Light and melting ice makes for an enormous surface production. High density of fish, krill and sea birds during the Spring feeding period raises the vulnerability of the area. The national Department of Fisheries frequently closes the area around Bjørnøya to protect young cod. Oil spills in ice-bound waters is a major threat.
8. Hopen Deep:
This is a highly productive part of the ocean, especially along the polar front, the ice edge and on shallow banks. The entire region and the banks are of major importance to sea urchins, sea cucumbers, cod, haddock, capelin, polar cod and halibut. There is a large population of shrimp and many species of baleen whales in Hopen Deep.
9. Southern Svalbard (Spitzbergen):
Highly productive feeding and growth areas for cod and haddock. Large population of shrimp in the deep channels. The area of Hopen is a crucial spawing and over-wintering ground for capelin. The ice edge is a key area for breeding pelagic alcidae (Auks) on southern Spitsbergen. Important area for marine mammals and polar bears.
Posted by Irene at 11:30 AM | TrackBack
April 4, 2005
An Integrated Management Plan for Lofoten and Barents Sea: An opportunity that must not be lost
The Norwegian Government is preparing an Integrated Management Plan for the Lofoten and Barents Sea areas. This has the potential to become an important tool to protect this area and take multiple stresses into account by regulating a variety of human activities by means of cross-sectoral marine management. Since this plan it will be one of the first initiatives of its kind globally, a good plan may also have important global ramifications. However, the process is under severe threat from the oil industry, large-scale fishing fleet and other sector interests.
In the founding political charter for the current Norwegian government, the political parties agreed that the Arctic marine areas of Norway are both environmentally sensitive and yet extremely economically valuable areas that require better management. A moratorium on new petroleum activities in these regions was declared until a suitable analysis of their potential impacts had been carried out. In a following White Paper on the marine environment , it was stated that Coastal and marine environments are under increasing pressure throughout the world. Norway is no exception. In many cases, development is carried out with inadequate knowledge of the probable impact on ecosystems. Based on this policy, the Parliament decided that an Integrated Management Plan (hereafter IMP) should be developed for the Barents Sea and Lofoten area as a first step in this new approach.
This was a globally important policy initiative, as Norway may become one of the first countries to be drawing up a coherent policy for all its marine and coastal areas, something Greenpeace sees as a potentially good example of sound oceans management.
However, to become anything approaching a good example, Norway needs to ensure that the IMP follows a thorough and due process through to completion before allowing further developments which impact on the environment in the region. The IMP also needs to include concrete measures, based in law, for area-based management. Some areas must be designated marine reserves or marine national parks as part of the global network of marine reserves that the planet needs for ecosystem maintenance and we need for sustainable fisheries.
As a world leader in proactive and positive environmental leadership, Norway should take the lead in developing concrete tools in marine management and stewardship that deliver on states international commitments. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Oslo-Paris convention (OSPAR), as well as the emerging European Marine Strategy (EMS) all require states to establish a network of marine protected areas. However, several signs indicate that Norway may not be ready to take this leadership role, and the IMP process is now under threat.
Undermined by oil interests: As part of the IMP process, the Environment Ministry carried out assessments of year-round petroleum activities, maritime transport, fisheries and aquaculture. The moratorium on oil and gas activities in the region, which political rhetoric indicated would remain in place at least until the final IMP had been drawn up, has now been undermined by oil industry, which views such a plan as a direct threat to their economic interests. The Oil and Energy Ministry has given the go ahead to Norwegian Hydro, Statoil and Eni to begin exploratory drilling activities in 2004-2005, i.e. before the IMP is completed. New exploratory licences will also be granted in the second part of 2005. In theory, there will be no automatic licensing for oil production activities to begin if test-drilling finds oil, but normally this is only a rubber-stamp procedure once oil has been discovered. There has never been a case in Norway where oil-yielding test wells have not been commercially developed. Spokespersons from the oil industry has announced that they plan to drill even in the extremely sensitive Lofoten area in 2007, as soon as the politicians have sorted out their management plan , and Shell, Statoil, Hydro, and Eni have already hired rigs.
Undermined by dangerous shipping: The Norwegian shipping lobby is working hard on the Norwegian Government to avoid setting a precedence where coastal states like Norway are allowed to add significant restrictions to free innocent passage along their coasts. Although stricter shipping regulations, like PSSA status or at least obligatory passage 50 nautical miles offshore would help protect the vulnerable coastline, the shipping lobby sees this as setting a dangerous precedent. It fears that if Norway goes this route, other nations will do the same, and all shipping interests will be affected.
Undermined by irresponsible fishing practices: The background report on how fisheries impact the ecology in the Lofoten and Barents Sea fails to analyse how much the environmental pressure from fishing could be reduced if certain critical areas were set aside as off-limits. It also fails to analyse the importance of the coastal fishery for local culture, livelihoods and tradition, and no analysis is done on the relative environmental impacts of the coastal fleet versus the ocean-going, factory fleet. At the same time, strong processes and policies have been set in motion by the Fisheries Ministry which is trying to change the fishing fleet structure into one with more ocean-going vessels and privatised fishing rights. These are in contradiction with the goals of the IMP process.
Undermined by time pressure: Several of the underlying reports used as a source of baseline data for decision-making reports were written in but a few weeks, with no new research being done and very little quality control. Such work reduces credibility of the result.
Undermined by lack of political ambition: The most significant threat to a trustworthy process at the moment is the lack of political ambition, even within the Environment Ministry, towards making the IMP a tool that really counts and makes an active difference to the marine management of the Barents Sea and Lofoten. As required by the CBD, OSPAR as well as the EMS, Norway must use this opportunity to establish large marine reserves to contribute to the global network of marine reserves. Designating small patches of special fjord-ecosystems that are not wanted by the oil or commercial fishing industries are simply not enough to ensure the protection of this globally important area and wildlife that inhabits it.
A trustworthy IMP cannot continue to leave all final decisions on how to manage this vulnerable region to the same industrial players that have proven unable to protect these oceans areas in the past. The plan must mandate a new structure for oceans management. Modern history has proven that sector-by-sector management has failed. Business as usual is not a way forward and not good leadership. Currently, the small print in the remits for the plan is that it will only provide Recommendations for requirements for commercial activities in the different areas of the sea region, i.e. a zone-based plan for activities. If this is to become a real improvement, the plan must be equipped with both an enforcing body and a monitoring system.
Read more detailed Greenpeace comments to the Integrated Management Plan (Norwegian)>>
Norwegian Environment Ministry site on all the Lofoten-Barents issues (Norwegian)>>
Oil companies pressure for access
Increased oil tanker traffic and lack of emergency plans
Over-fishing, factory fishing and bottom trawling
An Integrated Management Plan for Lofoten and Barents Sea: An opportunity that must not be lost
Posted by Irene at 10:11 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack