Wednesday: It's an overcast calm morning in the Tasman Sea. Four inflatables from the Rainbow Warrior are in the water, astern of the Ocean Reward. The bottom trawler is drawing its cables in, having dragged its net along the sea floor for some six hours.
While we bob around, the Rainbow Warrior radios the skipper of the Ocean Reward, informing them that we are undertaking a peaceful protest, with no intention of interfering with their navigation, endangering their crew or damaging any equipment.
First, the trawl doors come up, clank into place. The trawler crew change over the connections, and start winching in the net. As the 'cod end' of the net breaks the surface, our boat races alongside, so that the Malcolm and Wooly can record the motley array of animals packed inside. As usual, there's not much sign of orange roughy, even as the net is pulled up the stern ramp.
Action stations! Logi and his team in the Waka Nui move in. Abri reaches up with a pole, clipping a triangular banner reading "End Deep Sea Destruction" to the port trawl door. Let it be known - this is not as easy as it sounds. Next, Logi does some remarkable boat drivin - he reverses the Waka Nui over towards the bottom trawler's starboard side, towards the other trawl door. All the time, the Waka Nui is connected to the first door by a cable, via a hand-held pole held by Roscoe. He reaches out with this pole and sign setup - clips it on to the trawl door. There's some tugging, and yes, the sign is on! The Waka Nui pulls away, leaving the Ocean Reward beautifully branded as a deep sea destroyer. In addition, the doors are now linked together, preventing them from being used. If the trawler lowers its doors like this, the net will be effectively 'choked' closed.
The bottom trawler crew are a little better behaved today - there's no firehoses, potato-based projectiles or verbal abuse. Instead, they seem resigned to trying to remove our signs, while their skipper seems to be heading his ship towards the Rainbow Warrior - a little worrying, perhaps.
Now, we wait for the net to be dropped. Flavio steers one of the smaller boats right up to the stern of the trawler, in order to dissuade them from continuing fishing. The Ocean Reward's crew are having none of this, and deploy the net. As the net pays out, Flavio and Gareth get out of the way, and the Waka Nui gets back in the action - this time, the guys manage to secure a yellow barrel reading "Protect Deep Sea Life" to the net.
Suddenly, the trawler winch changes direction, and the net is hauled back on board. Our barrel scoots along the sea, and then is bounced up onto the deck. The trawler's deck crew disentangle it, and try to deploy the net again. Once it's back in the water, Logi and the boys pull up to it again, and attach yet another barrel - and again, the net is hauled back on board. The barrel removed, they drop the net yet again. This time, the Waka Nui's crew don't manage to get purchase on the net - and it slips below the waves, dropping over one kilometre to the bottom of the ocean, for another day of wrecking the environment.
Although we've spent the morning disrupting the trawls with direct actions, it will really take some government action to stop this carry-on for once and for all - to put a moratorium in place.
- Dave
Comments
Those crew have the right to earn a living. Just like you work overtime for extra money, it's their way of life and that's how they earn their living. Of course they think about money. Who doesn't.
Posted by: Marlin Spike at June 27, 2005 11:41 AM
I read your email then read the front page of the herald and what struck me most was the comment by Talleys co owner about how GreenPeace actions were interferring with the economics of the trawler. What a humongous D@#KH*?D and how bloody obvious it is what matters to these guys most.
Where GreenPeace stands apart from all others is there interest in the colour green as the natural environment of Earth and not the dye used to decorate money.
And as for Some-Guy, forget the moralistics of eating fish...do you think Talleys gives a fishes eye ball what we are eating. It is all about $$$ so dont bother pulling that card.
All my love and support to GreenPeace.
Posted by: Candy at June 10, 2005 02:26 AM
go you guys! really fantastic stuff... great to see all the support you have, all the fab people onboard and of course... the kick-arse actions. It's heartbreaking to see what these trawlers are doing to the incredible and crazy diversity under the water - and it's gotta stop... so proud of you all for being out there... kia kaha!
Posted by: cotts at June 9, 2005 11:02 PM
Hi there Some_guy,
I think Greenpeace is going after the whalers some guy, I believe they might be in Ulsan in Korea at the moment preparing for the IWC and have been for some months. From memory Some guy I think it's only a couple of years since Greenpeace was in the Southern Ocean chasing Japanese Whalers directly too. But there seems more than this one issue Some guy, its not just about the coral, that's bad enough, but it's also about the stocks, Roughy's been destroyed in many of the places it has been discovered, you probably know this Some guy, one thing we do know is that it's not pelagic, so as it's collapsed in one area the industry moves to a new field. Have you seen the hauls these guys are making out there Some guy? Not very good, and most of this will end up as fish fingers in the UK, hell they're not even fishing in NZ waters. Maybe you know about the history of the North American Cod fishery Some guy? If someone like Greenpeace had done to those guys what they are doing to Talleys right now, then maybe there still would be a Cod fishery, and maybe there still would be some Cod fishermen too. You really are Some guy.
Posted by: rob at June 9, 2005 06:14 PM
Huge kia ora to the NZ RW crew. You're all great- thanks for making us proud and fighting this stupidity.
"hairies and hippies" we know who they're thinking of here!
Stop these instruments of mass destruction!
On another note, going vegetarian is probably a good idea for everyone; Greenpeace activists or not, considering the state of the world's fish stocks.
Can't say i don't miss eating fish (very) occasionally though!
In reply to 'some guy's' post below, of course some of the Greenpeace folk eat fish (or at least i assume they do) but that is totally missing the point! If you read the material on this website and on the main Greenpeace website you can see that this campaign is not about stopping fishing or even protecting fish it is about stopping one particularly destructive - and the evidence is plain to see that it is destructive. We have to stop plundering the oceans and think about our future .... if we continue with such irresponsible fishing methods we'll run out of fish and nobody will be able to eat fish or earn a living from fishing. Use your head 'some guy'.
Posted by: James at June 9, 2005 02:28 PM
Ok do you guys eat fish?
Where do you think fish for eating comes from???
Its not just magically formed in the supermarkets and fish shops, you need to stop your wineing and get a real job, new bike , and what ever you want , ok geeee the coral might get broken but the odds of the trawlers actually rippig up the bottom, floor is 9,000 feet deep in shallow areas , they might get some schools of fish but not ripping up the environment that much , i think you should stop going after New Zealanders and go attack the Japanese waleing as they are more of an ecological catastrophe, but for some reason you don’t want to do that can you please explain that to me
From some guy
Posted by: Some_guy at June 9, 2005 08:57 AM
good morning and a huge cheers for you action over the last days/weeeks in bringing light to another slash and burn abomination. great luck to all
Posted by: kieron bryant at June 9, 2005 08:34 AM
Warriors of the Greenpeace! you remind me the power of the light during these dark times. when the time comes i too would proudly serve you as it is one of my greatest motivations in life...
Posted by: Prasad at June 9, 2005 02:40 AM
hi guys - kate and logi espec.,
so good do hear fantastic reports of all the action going on with you guys. such a bummer to hear comments from wallies such as simon who just dont seem to have a clue.
hope you are feeling better and have your sea legs. kate - send me an email if you will. cheer.
lots love - anna
Posted by: Anna Lowe at June 8, 2005 11:48 PM
Way to go crew! You ought to be very proud of what you have achieved for the environment today, it's for efforts like this that there may well be hope for the future.
I hope they sit up at UNICPOLOS, take notice and actually do something about these crimes, good luck with the rest of the trip
cheers
Rob
Posted by: rob at June 8, 2005 07:49 PM
You guys rock! big hugs to all on board and keep the pressure on those baddies. xxxx
