UK action ends

After delaying the Panamanian-registered MV Etoile for two days, the UK action ended today when police landed by helicopter and removed the two activists hanging over the propellers at the stern of the ship.

The Etoile was then able to continue its journey into Bristol port, where the remaining climbers were removed from the mast and arrested. It took the authorities over four attempts to bring in the huge ship carrying GM maize into port after our protestors had thwarted previous attempts. Twelve other volunteers were arrested earlier on in the day.

The 125,000 tonne Etoile was bound for Bristol when our volunteers, including 48-year-old Baptist minister Malcolm Carroll and 36-year-old cattle farmer Nicole Cole stopped it in its tracks. Its GE cargo is destined to be used as animal feed for the dairy farms which supply milk to Britain's biggest supermarkets.

This action is the latest development in our UK campaign against the major supermarkets who, despite repeated promises, have so far failed to remove GM-fed products from their lines. Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda and Safeways all sell own-brand milk from cows fed on American GE crops.

- Find out more about the MV Etoile