The Queen left the ghostly Lootus 2 with her nets still down in the water. I'll never forget sitting alongside that trawler in the fog and looking up at the rusty hull and the large round dangling lights, which hung across the deck. We couldn't see anyone on board at all. It seemed as if the ship was running all by itself with nobody to haul the nets in. As soon as we pushed off towards Halifax on the Esperanza we noticed that the Lootus 2 finally stopped for hauling after 18 hours of having those nets down in the deep. It's upsetting to think about that ship still out there tearing up the sea floor along with so many others. We didn't stop deep sea destruction in international waters because we need the UN to do that but we went out there to tell a story and I think we told it very well. The bottom trawlers out there in the NAFO area might be hidden in fog but we've unveiled their actions to the world. It's up to governments now to make the right decision by putting in place a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling and granting deep sea biodiversity the reprieve it deserves. You can help by sending them an e.mail.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

Image © Greenpeace/Hunter

This has been one amazing adventure and experience. It's been great meeting everyone on board and to have new friends from all over the world. I really enjoyed being part of such a big team and working together on a large issue like bottom trawling.

I never intended to be on the Esperanza but only to be helping out at the harbour in Halifax with Greenpeace Canada. It's funny how things work out. My mother happens to be on the Greenpeace International Board and she persuaded me to volunteer on the ship.

My first week was a little scary and rough, since this was my first time on a ship at sea. I was seasick for the first day and then battling with nausea on and off for a while. The waves and wind freaked me out until I realised I had nothing to worry about. The very experienced crew on the Esperanza made me feel safe.

Hope to see you soon despite the miserable weather.

-Lisa.

Name: Bernhard
From: Germany
Job: Greenpeace International Logistics Coordinator

How did you end up working for Greenpeace?

I studied marine science and became a volunteer for a local Greenpeace group in Germany about 12 years ago. In my opinion Greenpeace was the way to become active in protecting the oceans. About 4 years passed while I was volunteering in every activity I could get a grip on. Then in '96 the chance arose to enter even deeper in the Greenpeace world by taking on various jobs in the German office. Seeing more and more of the importance and potential of an international organisation I act now as the logistics coordinator for Greenpeace International and have done so for the past 2 years.

We are on the way back. Steaming with 14 kn - 750 miles to Halifax. The tour is at the end and this part of the seamounts campaign is over. It was a great time for me here on the Esperanza. From the campaign side as well as from the personal side.

Name: Chris
Job: Radio Operator
From: Australia

How did you come to be working on Greenpeace ships?

I did a degree in telecommunications and was working for the Australian navy 10 years ago when I saw on the news that Greenpeace had suffered damage to their radio equipment during an action so I offered to fix it for them.

If I had come up to the bridge, probably 5 minutes earlier everything would have been different. There was a meeting in the chartroom and almost everyone was there and I stepped right into their discussion about what we could do with the Lootus 2, which was only 1 nautical mile to our starboard side and hidden by the fog. By the trawler's behaviour over the last 24 hours we could tell that they had not hauled their nets for over 14 hours, which was more than strange. The team decided to do something about it. What? Well, the banners with magnets worked the other time, but now we wanted something different. They chose an action with swimmers for a change, so the moment I stepped into the chartroom, they were looking for volunteers. The first thing I heard, was Luke saying: "There's one!" while pointing at me. That's how I became a swimmer. Actually, there was a list of people who had volunteered earlier for possible activities and there I was on the swimming list because in so me silly moment I must have lifted my arm, to volunteer as a swimmer. I can't remember why. Normally I don't like swimming, but that's a different story. This didn't seem to be very normal at all.

Name: Tara (Tarasara)
From: Sweden
Job: Assistant Cook

How did you come to be working on Greenpeace ships?

Three and a half years ago I started at Greenpeace as a direct dialoguer. At that time I was a poor student that desperately needed a job. When I saw that Greenpeace searched for direct dialoguers I became very happy because I always liked Greenpeace and their beliefs and thought it was nice to combine work with something important. The more I got to know about Greenpeace the more interested I became and I took the decision to become a Greenpeace activist. I trained as a boat driver with Greenpeace Sweden and got totally sucked in. So when I had the chance to join the ship I took it and I've never been happier!

-Lisa.

Image

Yesterday we pulled off an action against a Spanish trawler, attaching a banner saying "deep sea destroyer" to the hull of the offending vessel. No doubt that information is available through the official web pages but if you only read them what you miss is the stuff that goes on behind the scenes. So that's what I'm going to tell you about, about how it happens from the moment we have the chance to do an action. The following account is roughly how it has taken place during this campaign.

Name: Isadora
From: Germany
Job: Photographer

How did you end up working for Greenpeace?
I got a phone call asking if I would like to make pictures of the people working on board.

The following is an account from Mike (chief mate) of what happened in yesterday's action against high seas bottom trawling...

The sun rose and some of the crew were out to watch it for its brief appearance. The rest watched with us as it disappeared again, half an hour later into dark rain filled clouds that took over the sky whilst we were launching the boats. The wind rose in the suns wake to a Beaufort force six, occasionally gusting to seven. Esperanza swung one way and then the other, making a lee to each side in order to launch the boats in the twelve foot swell. The Hurricane, with me as coxswain and Florian as crew were the first in the water. Florian, is a university student of environmental science from Germany, who joined the Esperanza as an activist in Halifax. He wears his long blond hair in dreads, and volunteers for everything all of the time.