The crew of the Sunrise and EU Commissioner Dimas
© Christian Åslund

2)Defending our proposed Marine Reserves and monitoring the Baltic Sea for pirate fishers of cod.

3)Seizing illegal gill-nets in an area of the Baltic closed to cod fishing.

4)“Open ship” in Gdynia, officially started the Oceans campaign in Poland.

5)Returning the illegal gillnets directly to the fisherman in Kolobrzeg.

6)Back to the Bornholm Deep continuing defending our proposed Marine Reserves.

7)Reacting to an unexpected emergency response to the case of Probo Koala, the “death ship”.

8)Generating unprecedented world-wide interest as a result of our actions and blockade of the Probo Koala.

9)Our efforts lead to the detainment and criminal investigation of the Probo Koala.

10)We were honoured by a special, and exclusive, visit of Stavros Dimas, The European Union Environmental Commissioner and Estonian Minister of the Environment. Mr Dimas stated that Greenpeace is helping enforce the European law.

11)“Trawler girls” spotted in port during our transit to Kaliningrad, Russia.

12)Our efforts in political lobbying of the Russian government lead to the detainment and inspection of the five “trawler girls”, in record time. Russian authorities will detain the ships and crew until a decision is made. We hope for a permanent expulsion from port, and improvement in enforcing the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission regulations, to which Russian Federation is a signatory.

I am extremely grateful I had the opportunity to be part of this adventure. The fight for our oceans, and effect we have on people and the way they regard nature is inspiring. My Arctic Sunrise experience, and experience with Greenpeace in general, truly changed my view and philosophy of fighting for change. I realized change is always possible, as long as there is action, and as long as there is passion and belief in what one is fighting for. Nothing is impossible. Some things are hard. But never impossible. I believe in what Daisaku Ikeda said “A great revolution in just one individual will help to change the destiny of all humankind.”

I will miss all the beautiful people I met onboard this ship. Their dedication, and most of all, their inspiration, strength, perseverance, and belief in our actions and Greenpeace will be what I hold onto the most in the coming days, months, and years.

I would like to thank you, the readers of these blogs. Lets continue saving our oceans, never giving up on making a difference, no matter how small.

This may be the end of our Oceans campaign, but the journey continues with a Toxics Tour. Sadly, I am disembarking in Copenhagen, but please follow the Arctic Sunrise as her adventure continues.

Until next time, I hope!

“Never measure the height of a mountain until you reached the top. Then you will see how low it was." - Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961), Sweden

(Click 'continue reading' to read Ivona's poem)

Then there were toxics
And the “death ship”
Dumping its poisons
And losing a grip
They poisoned people
The African poor
Ignoring deaths
They wanted more

We travelled to Estonia
And blocked their toxic ship
Authorities reacted
And put an to their trip
After, in Russia
We won again
The “trawler girls”
Will be detained

The people I met here
Will always be in my heart
Where-ever I am
I will be proud
So here we are
At the end of our campaign
Celebrating successes
Hoping for more gains

Our mission does not end here
It just begins
Mother nature needs us
And we will persevere

The trawler girls - not going anywhere for a while
© Greenpeace/Jensen

We received a letter from the Russian authorities late last night. Consequently, the events of the last 24 hours mean that our demands regarding the “trawler sisters” (as I outlined in my last report) are being met by the Russian authorities. They are as follows:

1) the ships and the crew are going to be detained for as long as it is necessary to make a substantiated decision about this crime

2) An active ban on the provisions and services was applied, until a final decision is made

3) An inspection of the ships was also ordred to evaluate the situation.

We are absolutely impressed and happy, and a bit surprised that our lobbying here was so swift and smooth, and fast. It was something reminescant of the reaction to the Probo Koala case last week! I feel we are breaking all kinds of beaucratic red-tape. This is a very meaningful victory in our fight with fishing pirates!

Despite our victory today, we are going to follow next steps in this case, and we will have an eye out for the “trawler girls”. We hope they are decomissioned, and can steal no more.

The notorious "trawler girls' - they ain't pretty
© Greenpeace/Christian Åslund.

The "Trawler girls” are five Russian ships, which have been black-listed by the European Union, Iceland, North-East Atlantic Fisheries Comission (NEAFC) and North West Atlantic Fisheries Comission (NAFO).

The ships were black listed because they have been involved in Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and they continue the destruction of deep-sea life and theft of fish, despite their blacklisted status.

We have actually been documenting the whereabouts of these five vessels since September 2005. These vessels usually fish illegally in Irminger Sea, over-winter in European ports, only to return to their old fishing grounds to continue stealing fish.

As I mentioned in my previous entry, countries which are bound by the “blacklist” legislation are not allowed to to equip IUU vessels with provisions, fuel, and other services. But clearly there is total lack of regard and enforcement of these regulations by governments and various fishing bodies.

Today we demanded that Russian government starts following regulations they commit to, i.e.: the NEAFC agreement. We also demanded the denial of access to any port services, including fuel, and other provisions. Ideally we would like to see the ships expelled from this port.

In addition to the above, we would also like a formal inspection done by the port authority to see if any services have been provided since arrival of the vessels.

We are confident that our demands are realistic, and can be met by the Russian government. It is obvious they are harbouring illegal vessels, and we want a commitment of action. We are confident that a reaction by the Russian government will send a strong signal to this sector of the mafia fisheries. We want the “trawler sisters” out of Svetlyy, and out of the seas and oceans for good!

Coincidently there is a NEAFC meeting in Estonia on Tuesday, October 3, 2006. Our demands to the Russian government are timed perfectly! The discussions are going to centre on enforcement of regulations as they relate to fish piracy. We hope that our presence in Kaliningrad with the “Trawler Girls”, in addition to the NEAFC meeting, will create an opportunity for a victory against these five vessels.

Stay tuned, as news unflolds....

Tuomas and Texas juggling.
© Greenpeace/Christian Åslund.

I did not see conventional beauty of newness and modernism in all of this, but I thought that what I saw was quite beautiful, simply because it is Russia. Legendary Russia, full of secrets and mystery, mafia and wars, communism and blood.

I had a very relaxing day today. It is our day off, and I think everyone really took advantage of it. Some were juggling on the heli-deck, others played the guitar and sang, while others exercised (skipping rope), and still others threw around the only soccer ball we have on-board.

I thought it would be fun to join the ball-throwing crowd. We had a grand time, until I threw the ball into the toxic-looking, green, and littered water. I am still not certain whose fault it was. Was it mine because I threw it a tad too high, or was it Folkwin's who did not catch it? Hmmm. Folkwin and I, along with the eyewitnesses, ran to the railing and stared, as the ball slowly drifted away from us.

The ball rescue started. First, we tried to save it using an extremely long pole, but it was still way too short to reach our target. Ok, ok, what's next? Next, we used the floating device, throwing it in the distance, hoping to catch the bloody ball. Not effective, not effective at all. We were slowly giving up when we noticed an approaching small Russian tour boat.

We started waving, they waved back. We pointed at the ball, and they waved back. We pointed at the ball again, and they waved back. Eventually they passed by the ball, continuing to wave enthusiastically. We still kept pointing at the ball, and they contiued waving. Ok, the ball is lost. "Oh, wait! They are coming back", someone said.

They struggled to get the ball, but were patiently trying and trying. Another boat approached, also a tour boat, and they finally got the ball out of the water, and into our hands. We clapped, they laughed. We thanked them, they waved and smiled. With big grins on their faces, they contined the tour of the harbour canal. The whole situation was quite comical.

We are all getting ready for dinner now. We are still in our cabins, as we did not get a clear signal that all is ok, and that the ship inspection is finished. I am certainly getting hungry, and I hope to eat soon. Food is of uttmost importance when sailing. I wonder what the WBC (World's Best Cook) has in store for us today...

We have finally determined our next steps, and we are fully back on track with our Oceans Campaign. We will be arriving in Kaliningrad, Russia tomorrow in the hopes of finding pirate fishing vessels.

Who are the Pirates?

Pirates are vessels which have been involved in Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing practices. Some of the Pirates have been blacklisted by the European Union, North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) and North West Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NAFO).

Countries which are bound by the "Blacklist" legislation are not allowed to equip IUU vessels with provisions, fuel, and other services.

When a ship is black listed, it should not be allowed entry into any EU port, or port in a country that ratified the NEAFC, which include: Russian Federation, Greenland, Iceland, Faeroe Islands and Norway.

What is our goal?

Our goal is to expose governments currently not respecting the NEAFC legislation. If IUU vessels are found, we would like to see such ships not receiving support in the form of provisions, fuel, or other services. We would also hope that these ships are expelled from countries bound by EU legislation and, which are part of the NEAFC. We are confident this tactic will send a strong signal to pirate fishers out there.

I will keep you in the loop of unfolding events as we near the Russian port.

[ For more background see our report:
Caught red-handed: daylight robbery on the high seas. ]

Hello. This is again me, Marcin. We’re all still on-board the Arctic Sunrise, dancing with the waves somewhere in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea. The weather is going worse, and our beautiful and warm sun is hidden beyond a thick, gray carpet of angry clouds. But our moods are high as always and we’re ready for the next battle to come.

Yesterday was quite calm. It was one of those rare moments of silence right in between two storms. We left the port and harbour of Paldiski at noon (I do wonder why most activities happen exactly at lunch and dinner hours). After that we went into another harbor and anchored there. This new one was really beautiful. A narrow, sandy beach, many huge stones and rocks, and pine forest typical for northern parts of Europe . There were also three wrecks ( one lying on the beach and two half-sunk in a shallow water ) which made the harbour look mysterious. I could feel a sense of adventure while being there.

So we stayed there in anchor till today. Probably you’ll think it was quite boring, just drifting. But believe me, every hero needs a day off. It is good to chill out a little, let the level of adrenaline come back to normal. It is also a good time to talk things over, summarize all the good and bad things that happened, find some solutions for the future. In my personal opinion it is a time when our experiences grow.

So, that’s all folks. I wish you luck, and see you again soon.

The central electricity plant in Paldiski
© Satu Pitkänen

The following afternoon the Sunrise appeared from the fog. We were on a beach on the shore, watching her as she slowly swam into the harbour and dropped anchor in front of the Probo Koala. Just moments before we had received our first media request – a local TV channel asking what a Greenpeace ship is doing sailing towards Paldiski. I have to give credit to Estonian media for being so observant! That first media request was however only the beginning of an avalanche.

We enjoyed soft beds and a friendly atmosphere in the only B&B in the town, and delicious meals in the passenger terminal café in the harbour. Slowly mission impossible turned into mission possible. Within 24 hours the little land team of Jacob from Denmark & me had established relations to both the Ministries in Estonia and the media. I would like to send greetings and say thank you to all the people that helped us and listened to us in Estonia, from the car rental guy to the secretary of the minister who was trying to help me find a doctor for my running eye the evening before a big TV interview…

The coverage in Estonian media has been incredible. Check out for example Postimees or Eesti Päevaleht - and trust me, I will never fail to mention that I was visiting Estonian national TV’s morning program for a full 11 minutes Thursday morning. According to Andy Warhol, I still have four minutes left ;)

The Arctic Sunrise will be back in Estonia in a couple of weeks, demanding a stricter chemical legislation (REACH) in the European Union. You are all welcome to visit the ship after 12 o’clock on the 16th of October. We will also be visiting Riga on the 9th, Klaipeda on the 11th, Stockholm on the 13th and 14th and finally Helsinki on the 17th and 18th of October. Hope to see you all on board!

"Love in times of cholera", Gabriel García Márquez

2. Music that makes you jive.

Right now, Andrés Cepeda (a great Colombian artist). Tonight, perhaps, The Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra's version of "Jelly, Jelly"

3. What are the words you live by?

.. ain't care if i deserve this kind of life, but, it's the life i'm leading.

4. If you could live your “perfect life”, where would you be, and what would you be doing?

Here, now, this ... with a wee bit less bureaucracy and its associated “bs”.

5. So far, which part of this Baltic Cod campaign has been most memorable?

Outboard engine bar-b-q ... never thought of how handy an outboard engine could turn out to be.

6. What was your worst fear coming on-board the Arctic Sunrise to join this campaign?

Toilet system blockage

7. Describe you personality in three words.

Proud, own, stupidity

8. What is your most memorable Greenpeace moment?

When they replied I joined a Greenpeace ship after 5 years of unanswered applications.

Activist Karin Flack
© Christian Åslund

In her homeland of Sweden, Karin has been quite a hero in the media. We got a bit of a chuckle at the Greenpeace office as papers arrived with headlines like, "HOW KARIN, 25, STOPPED THE DEATH BOAT". (Not to undermine her contribution, but I immediately had mental images of little Karin singlehandedly swimming through a shipping lane and turning the toxic tanker around). You can check out some video of Karin and the team in action on Ocean Defenders TV (choose the Baltic Sea channel and click on the video called "Action on the toxic tanker").

Meanwhile, important decisions are being made as to our next course of action, which of course is classified information at the moment. We will bring you the news as soon as it comes to hand. (Yes I know, vague ... but kind of exciting right?)

Mr. Dimas on the Sunrise with some bedtime reading
© Christian Åslund

Mr. Dimas will be following the Probo Koala case from now on, to ensure accountability and punishment of responsible parties in the Ivory Coast toxic dumping. He also stated that he will push the European Union Member States to ratify some legislation in the Basel Convention, specifically, legislation which forbids the export of dangerous toxic products from Europe because less-developed countries are not equipped to treat them safely and properly.

The atmosphere on the ship was rather crazy during this very important visit. There were reporters and television crew everywhere. We were photographed, interviewed, watched, and admired. Some local reporters brought copies of newspapers with them to show us the stories they wrote, and photos they took. There was a really great photo of Karin hanging on one of the moor lines with a banner “Toxic Trade Costs Lives”!

The whole experience was rather surreal. I think it helped us all realize how BIG this case really is. We were very insulated from the media hype and general sentiments of the world, as we do not have access to Internet or television on the ship. The visit of Mr. Dimas, who claimed Greenpeace was helping enforce the European law, made me realize how important and instrumental our work really is.

Unfortunately, the busy schedule of all the officials including Mr. Dimas's, did not afford him the opportunity to wear one of our “Toxic Patrol” vests. Allegedly Mr. Dimas was also looking forward to a ride in our inflatable, and was actually quite disappointed we were moored at dock, but due to further engagements he could not take us up on the offer. Perhaps next time Mr. Dimas!

After all the stress of the last few days, I am finally starting to see the big picture. I am incredibly proud that our actions, patience, flexibility, and perseverance, moved the international community to care about toxics, to care about holding companies like Tranfigura responsible, to care about others dumping our dirt in the backyards of those who need help the most.

From hippy hooligans in the Estonian media, we have become heroes. Also, almost overnight, Estonia has become a very visible member of the European Union, and an instrumental country in bringing justice in the case of Probo Koala.

Despite all the victories of the last few days, we, the Arctic Sunrisers, are still facing some police charges. The crew on-board the Probo Koala has filmed the painting "EU Toxic Crime Scene" on their ship, and provided the tape to the Estonian police. Early in the afternoon the police visited our ship to bring in this news. Three people were questioned, but everything is in the clear now. We are free to go and continue with our Fishing and Marine Reserves work.

In conclusion, I would like to say this. The actions leading to the detainment and current criminal investigation of the ship, and other companies behind the Probo Koala, were unusually and impressively swift. The respective governments of Ivory Coast and Estonia responded to this crisis in record times. There was very little red tape in this process also due to the competence of many dedicated Greenpeace people. I am very proud to be part of this tremendous success, and I am also so very proud of my friends here on board who made this happen.

This may mark the end of our (Arctic Sunrise) involvement, but it is just the beginning for Probo Koala (it is now in detention outside of the Paldiski port somewhere in Estonia as space was needed to for other incoming tankers).

It sounds like tomorrow will be our day to leave, but it is not yet confirmed. Please stay tuned for further news.

Iwona

Really a tough one to start with, because I read all the time when not made to work 12h days for some project (like gp). Usually I read two books at a time, one fiction & one educational: lately marine oriented stuff, but generally something on psychology/cognitive science - on how what we call reality is created by the mind, the human nervous system.

But my all time favorite is a work of (science) fiction: The Schroedinger's Cat, by Robert Anton Wilson. The most widely educated author I know, one who has a grip on both modern physics (quantum theory etc.) & psychology, then he popularizes cutting edge science by writing seriously funny fiction about it, with a rebel attitude.

2. Music that makes you jive.

Reggae and some (definitely not all) Folk are for relaxing and uplifting the weary spirit. Punk and Industrial Rock are for attitude adjustment (..just a shell until you decide to rebel!!..). Psychedelic Rock is for special occasions. Electronica I never just listen to, but frozen 1s and 0s provide the beat for great outdoor parties, where dozens -sometimes hundreds- dance themselves to trance -my kind’ a parties-. And when I'm totally bored with all my albums and the computer collection, then it's time to go to the library and check out some Beethoven, or other hard core, heavy duty, classical shit. Did I mention Funk, that's to grrroooove by.

3. What are the words you live by?

1. Follow only paths that have heart. ---My path towards illumination of a kind includes service to the Earth Mother, she hurts & must be defended..

2. If you have to do something - do it hard core!!

4. If you could live your “perfect life”, where would you be, and what would you be doing?

I would be skippering an ocean-worthy sailing yacht, a two master, somewhere in the Pacific, planning the next whimsical nonviolent direct action prank against the system with my -activist to the bone-crew.

5. So far, which part of this Baltic Cod campaign has been most memorable?

The day when we lifted up the two km of net, and I had to "dive" a bit to get that damned mesh out of the propellers of the 'Whale. [Editor's note - one of our boast, the "Grey Whale", not a large marine mammal ;-) ]

6. What was your worst fear coming on-board the Arctic Sunrise to join this campaign?

That, serious to almost being depressed about a lot of things that I am, I would find this scene to be too hippie-happy-laa-laa to my taste. Sometimes, often, I wish we could achieve more with the hell of a lot of resources at our disposal (compared to any other ngo).

7. Describe you personality in three words.

Travelling student activist.

8. What is your most memorable Greenpeace moment?

In the oil harbor of Muuga, Estonia, I participated in a gp-action blocking a tanker named Byzantio. It was right after the Prestige disaster in Spain, Prestige having loaded it's cargo of oil also in Muuga, Byzantio likewise being a single-hull tanker in very bad condition. It was in November, -15C. After climbing the mooring lines and hanging there for some hours, I got "go" for boarding the tanker - which I did. On tanker I met the captain of B. who said that his own ship is in ok condition (doubtful), but that he basically understood the protest about single-hull tankers, therefore none of his crew would bother me. I was removed from the tanker by the police after sunset. I was totally freezing, but our action was a big media hit in Estonia and Finland, also success globally (Reuters, BBC). One of the peak moments of my life, for sure. Also an action remembered by the Estonian Coast Guard people on 'Sunrise today.