Live now - Whale meat shipment blockade in Netherlands
Lisa, one of my co-workers, is sending out live updates while locked down to stop 160 tons of fin whale meat being shipped through The Netherlands on its way to Japan.
Update 1: Lisa's iPhone is running low on power. She's going to save it for Tweeting the most interesting bits. Keep an eye on this page for updates. You can see her video posts from the scene below.
Update 2: Tweet from the scene, "Dutch police are now investigating our allegations of fin whale meat destined for Japan from Iceland!" Waiting for official confirmation.
Update 3: Containers have been unloaded, supposedly for investigation. Some Dutch media already calling our action a "success". Still waiting for official confirmation.
Update 4: Activists have been arrested (most likely including Lisa). Expect them processed an out in a few hours. Still waiting to hear what has happened to the containers full of whale meat.
Final update: Success!!! The owner of the ship has decided to leave the containers behind rather than participate in the trade of endangered species.
Thanks to everyone for their support, kind words and re-Tweets! What a great start for Easter weekend!
See after the jump for wrap up, video from the protest and all that. Please support our activists in Japan. The folks arrested today will probably be out in a few hours, but Junichi and Toru are facing up to 10 years in jail because they stood up for the whales.
To hear about these kinds of things as they happen, follow us on Twitter.
Wrap up statement
Following our action which began early this morning, Rottderdam port police have promised that the whale meat shipment en route to Japan from Iceland will remain at the port. The owners of the container ship NYK ORION have decided to off load the Fin whale meat rather than become complicit in the trade in an endangered species.
“Today Greenpeace was able just in time to prevent this shipment of whale meat from continuing, such action should no longer be necessary," said Pavel Klinckhamers, Greenpeace oceans campaigner. "The Dutch authorities must ensure that whale meat never again comes to the Rotterdam harbour. They must work to end the whale meat trade."
Great job everyone!
See also: Background web story.
Live streamed by Lisa at 6:09am
Live streamed by Lisa at 11:02am
Twitter timeline (updates, earliest to latest)
Ecotist (aka Lisa, 04:24): I am one of the activists now blocking the departure of 160 tons of fin whale meat from Iceland to Japan in Rotterdam harbour #whalingGreenpeace (04:31) Greenpeace activists are now blocking departure of 160 tons of fin whale meat from Iceland to Japan in Rotterdam http://yfrog.us/4ryh7z
Greenpeace (04:33) PIC: Activists scale the mooring ropes of the NYK Orion - to stop fin whale meat being sent to Japan from Iceland http://yfrog.com/hq84jlj
Ecotist (04:33) http://yfrog.com/1ah2mj
Ecotist (4:51) PIC: My 2 fellow Greenpeace activists - together the 3 of us are blocking one of the mooring lines of the ship http://yfrog.com/73m3kuj
Ecotist (o4:58) ACT: Japan kills and consumes the most whales. 2 anti-whaling activists are on trial in Japan - support them! http://bit.ly/WhalePledge
Greenpeace (05:03) Fingers r so cold I can barely type. But check out our climbers hanging from the bow of the ship! See them? #whales http://yfrog.com/j9gn5j
Greenpeace (05:14) Police are being friendly. It's windy and cold. 4 climbers are hanging from the mooring lines with our inflatables close by.
Greenpeace (05:30) PIC: Activists chained to ship lines get some rest at 5:30am as police watch closely behind. #whaleaction http://yfrog.com/3dytvxj
Greenpeace (05:53) Thanks for all the RTs and kudos! We are holding up here alright. Here's a video of our approach earlier! http://yfrog.us/jcuixz
Ecotist (05:58) Going to take a break from tweeting now - warm up my hands and save battery till it gets light. In the meantime... http://bit.ly/WhalePledge
Ecotist (06:08) (The activist next to me :-) RT @fbartels Blocking ship in Rotterdam harbour carrying 13 dead whales. http://yfrog.com/jvytij
Ecotist (06:33) First news article so far (RTL) http://bit.ly/bDkLxj /via @plutoniumpage -- and we will also be on the 7am NOS news in the Netherlands!Ecotist (07:02) Did some more streaming just now. Hope it worked. Here's a pic as the sun is coming up. We are all still locked on http://yfrog.com/0yv5btj
Brianfit (07:16) Nos journal tv news in Dutch re Greenpeace Rotterdam whale action. http://tiny12.tv/G5ZIR
Ecotist (07:38) Best pic so far #whaleaction http://yfrog.com/50z21bj
Ecotist (07:41) Stop whaling! Banner on side of Japanese ship transporting endangered fin whale meat from Iceland to Japan. http://yfrog.com/7bigqj
Greenpeace (08:15) "Seize this cargo. We can set an example by our actions. Not words.", Paul (Greenpeace campaigner)
Ecotist (08:18) PIC: My fellow activist @fbartels doing a phone interview while chained to the whale meat ship lines. #whaleaction http://yfrog.com/6lcpij
Ecotist (08:27) More pics from #whaleaction in Rotterdam right now. VERY cold but our spirits are high. http://yfrog.com/0d4icj http://yfrog.com/2pjx8vaj
Greenpeace (09:06) Dutch police are now investigating our allegations of fin whale meat destined for Japan from Iceland! #whaleaction
Greenpeace (09:09) Good news: A worker told us that 5 whale meat containers have been removed from the ship for investigation!
Ecotist (10:55) Still here chained to the mooring - but battery is now only solar power! Not much for tweeting I'm afraid. #whaleaction
Greenpeace (11:10) New pic of our Rotterdam whale meat blockade http://tweetphoto.com/16778049
Greenpeace (12:21) Containers have been un-loaded from the ship, supposedly for investigation. Waiting for official word.
Greenpeace (13:34) Activists have been arrested. Expect them processed and out within hours. Still waiting on official word about off loaded whale meat.
Final note (and another photo by Lisa)
Icelandic whale meat has also recently been smuggled into Latvia and Denmark (where it will likely be used as pig feed). Some background from WDCS.
Follow Greenpeace »
Comments
Well done Greenpeace. This is a fantastic action and exactly what is needed. The proposed compromise deal at the IWC doesnt even mention curbing international trade. The whaling countries are running rings around the anti-whaling countries,
Posted by: Vassili Papastavrou | April 2, 2010 8:48 AM
Way to go, give the japanese whalers hell!
Posted by: Imforthewhales | April 2, 2010 10:08 AM
This is excellent news!!!! we welcome the fact that the Dutch police are investigating the matter is what we need to catch these culprits that have done wrong to the envrionment and to the Whales. Excellent job Greenpeace! keep up the good work
Posted by: David Tuipulotu | April 2, 2010 11:40 AM
Fantastic work Greenpeace. Absolutely wonderful. Appreciate the efforts you people are putting in.
Posted by: Abdul Raouf | April 2, 2010 12:38 PM
Well done! Great to read on nu.nl that your action was so rewarding. Too bad for the whales that were catched so far, but promissing for the future.
Cheers,
Simon
Posted by: Simon | April 2, 2010 12:41 PM
Good Gawd ThankYOU! I'm here ... How may I help?
Posted by: CDNF | April 2, 2010 2:19 PM
Thanks! One easy way to help is by signing the Iceland Pledge.
And the Whales pledge while you're at it please. Our activists in Japan also need your support.
Posted by: Andrew | April 2, 2010 2:35 PM
Correction: In the confusion, I got the numbers wrong about the activists. Fifteen were involved, and of those seven were arrested.
Posted by: Andrew | April 2, 2010 3:06 PM
Fantastic job, thank you for future generations!! Whales and dolphins trade is tragic and cruel.
Posted by: Petra from Prague | April 2, 2010 4:19 PM
Great job!!!
Posted by: Dimitris | April 2, 2010 4:31 PM
those bastards,
those whalers dont give
a damn,
the fin whale is the most
endangered of the whale speces
yet they [the whalers] try
to smuggle fin whale meat
to japan...
its disgusting....
Posted by: nigel david gedge | April 3, 2010 2:24 AM
Clearly those customs officials were bribed!!
I bet they're trying to jack all of it and sell it to the black market in Japan on their own!
Posted by: McC | April 3, 2010 2:58 AM
we must be all work to end the whale meat trade. good jop we all support you .we have to prevent this from continuing .I want you keep your aim and succeed .and free to who.. arrested
Posted by: Fatma Jamal | April 3, 2010 6:38 AM
Great Job!!!!
Posted by: Bill | April 3, 2010 9:59 PM
Well done&excellent job!
in just a few minutes the NOS journal will be on the air in oz.
Posted by: finn braaksma | April 4, 2010 12:20 AM
congratulations!
Posted by: finn braaksma | April 4, 2010 12:52 AM
you,ve outdone yourselves
greenpeace,good show.
how did icelandic whalers think they could get away with smuggling whale meet to japan? i guess it shows their level of intelligence is, great job!
Posted by: nigel david gedge | April 4, 2010 2:14 AM
you,ve outdone yourselves
greenpeace,good show.
how did icelandic whalers think they could get away with smuggling whale meet to japan? i guess it shows their level of intelligence is, great job!
Posted by: nigel david gedge | April 4, 2010 2:15 AM
listenin - Thanks for the tip about broken links. We had some technical problems, but seems to be fixed now.
McC - Joking? For those of you that don't know about it, there is a problem with whale meat smuggling in Japan...
Nigel - I think there are other species more endangered that the fin. But IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classes this fin whale species as Endangered and gives a rough total estimate of about 53,000 fin whales in the North Atlantic ocean in the year 2000.
Posted by: Andrew | April 4, 2010 11:28 AM
well done! great that you managed to step in at the last moment lisa, to cover the whole action. good on ya girl! and most importantly, you guys were successful. i was shocked to hear that the trade is still so active, and hope that your action has highlighted what is still going on and will be instrumental at putting a stop to this.
Posted by: Anu | April 4, 2010 11:41 AM
Well done all involved! Seems to have been a very successful action.
Posted by: Paul | April 4, 2010 4:07 PM
edit,the SBS NOS journal in Australia has not shown anything about the succes in Rotterdam.
[Hi Finn! Lisa here -- I was referring to the Dutch NOS news who covered it at 7am and again at 10am]
Posted by: finn braaksma | April 5, 2010 2:01 AM