Name: Thilo Maack Age: ...ehem... 36 Nationality: Germany Position on board: Assistant campaigner

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
I'm an oceans campaigner from Greenpeace Germany and I am working on the North Sea campaign. I think Marine Reserves are the last chance for the North Sea ecosystems. The fishery in the North Sea is standing with its back to the wall and if we carry on like we have in the past ten years, these fisheries will be gone - like most of the fish stocks that enriched the North Sea a hundred years ago.

In the 1860's fishermen were catching Tuna and Cod 1.5 metres in length from the North Sea. Nowadays the catches are going down and down. Species that were once common in the North Sea such as several rays and sharks are virtually gone forever. If we really want to do something about it we need to create large reserves.

STOP OVERFISHING OR FISHING WILL BE OVER!

Name: Chris Petts Age: 37 Nationality: British Position on board: Assistant cook and Actions person

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
been a volunteer with Greenpeace UK for the last 2 years, and among the many jobs I've done has been land support for the Esperanza while she is in UK waters. This involved a lot of shopping for bizzare and various things. It also meant that I regularly met the crew, and I was always a little sad that every time the intercom broadcast the message "Prepare for leaving in thirty minutes" I had to say my goodbyes and watch from the quay-side as they sailed off into the sunset (or morning drizzle).

So when I found out that the Esperanza was comming to the UK to participate in my pet campaign- the Northsea Marine Reserves- I asked everyone I knew in the UK office and all the crew onboard if they could pull some srtings for me. My tactics obviously worked, I suspect I'm here to put a stop to my badgering more than any skills I have, but here I am and I'm loving every second of it.

Any thoughts on the North Sea, the campaign, fishy stuff, marine reserves etc?
As I said in the why I'm here bit, I see this part of Greenpeace's work as the most important to me. I've been pressurisng my friends and family not to eat cod for about the last 15 years, and as more species' population went into freefall decline I've been regularly chastising them over what they can and cannot eat. At first I got the information from angling and fishing journals who would publish one paragraph articles on the decline of this fishery or that species. Then along came the internet and I realised quite how much information had been gathered, then ignored. So what can I do about it? A friend of mine worked for Greenpeace, and she said I should come in and help out if I was serious, and now I'm in the middle of the northsea helping to set up marine reserves.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid ground?
Everything is constantly moving, you learn to open doors with the roll of the ship, to climb stairs as she's descending and never fill a saucepan more than 2/3 full. Also be nice to everyone because you are going to bump into the same 35 people day in day out for the next month. oh and don't dance to Nirvarna untill you've checked the clearance over your head...

Name: Mike Fincken Age: 37 Nationality: South African Position on board: Second mate

How come you’re on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
I am a master mariner who has found himself beholden to the majesty of the sea and the ever-unfolding mystery of planet Earth. Nineteen years ago I ran away from military conscription during the time of a cruel and bitter internal war
within the borders of my country, South Africa. I searched for peace and then finally in 1994, the year my country became a democracy, I discovered Greenpeace. It happened while loading a cargo of milled temperate rain forest on board a big steel ship in Canada. I am now here on the North Sea as a result of my continued focus and commitment to our beautiful home.

Any thoughts on the North Sea campaign?
I come from the country where the lions and elephants roam, they all live in game reserves. I am thankful for the reserves and am excited as I now see them starting to expand in the light of tourism. I wonder what my country would be like if the
reserves had not been made all those years ago.

There seems to be sense in protecting the spawning and feeding grounds of the fish. I think it is also a good idea to protect the bottlenecks along the fish migration routes - those narrow passages that we tend to stopper with nets. Maybe marine reserves will be the solution to decreasing fish stocks. I believe it will do the Earth well to rest up a bit anyway. Then perhaps at a later date we can review our methods. But I do not deny that it will be a test, indeed a brave period of self-control for a few years as we wait for the effect to become apparent.

How does life at sea differ from that on land?
Everybody is in the same boat, a small and closed community from the time the ship leaves the dock with new faces on board. We live closely together while sharing cabins, ablutions, meals and weather. We have continuous opportunities to develop a synergistic team and we learn to need and support each other.

Life at sea on a Greenpeace ship can be complimented with 18 or more different nationalities. It is not an island, it becomes a world floating on the ocean. Finally, as friends we exchange email addresses when we say goodbye.

Who is your cabin mate of choice?
Stan, the UK Greenpeace action co-ordinator, is my cabin mate of choice. He is tried and tested, does not snore, wears clean socks and enjoys a quiet read. He also puts up with my habit of waking up before midnight to go on watch, and
then the shuffle of my return to my bunk as twilight begins to filter in through the curtains covering the porthole.

Name: Daniel Nationality: Méxican Position on board: Cook

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
I have been with Greenpeace for almost three years as an activist and volunteer in the Mexican office, working on Greenpeace ships for the last year. I initially joined the Arctic Sunrise in Veracruz, México as a cook assistant and activist in the WTO campaign. In the last trip we sailed through Brazil, Argentina and Chile for the climate change, forest and renewable energy campaigns. In that trip, I sailed as a cook and cook assistant.

In all my trips I've seen incredibly beautiful things like whales, dolphins, glaciers and forests. I've also seen some really alarming and shocking things, like the melting of the glaciers, the illegal logging in Chile and the impact of the Genetically Modified Maiz in México; on the people, the land and in the culture...

Now I've seen the fishing and over-exploitation of the North Sea, the life that this industry discards... Rays, Octopuses, Fish, Corals, Anemones, Crabs and much more, just thrown back to the sea as waste... Thousands of beautiful animals treated as garbage... Without any respect for them as living organisms...

With all that I've seen until now, I think that we as human kind are our own enemy... the ambition, greed, selfishness and the continuous search for more without respect or consideration for any other living organisms, including humans, or Mother Earth... Are usual in our lives.

But the world is changing, and everything we do will have a direct effect on everything else...Wishing things to happen, it's just the beginning - the rest lays in ourselves...Always in the path of Love and Truth.

Name: Elaine Hill Nationality: Australian Position on board: Web editor

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
I'm a freelance designer and I've been working on Greenpeace projects since 1998. I showed a serious interest in the Greenpeace ships after visiting the Rainbow Warrior in Sydney and was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to join this campaign as the web editor, how could I say no?

Any thoughts on the North Sea, the campaign, fishy stuff, marine reserves etc?
I first saw the North Sea from Aberdeen on my first visit to the UK 12 years ago. It was a foggy, dark and mysterious place. I wondered how people survived out here and what could possibly live in the vast greyness. I spent 10 years in the UK ignoring the North Sea, enjoying my cod and chips in the complete innocence that comes from ignorance.

When I found out I was coming here, I read the Greenpeace report and consumed as much information as I could find about the North Sea, the internet a rich hunting ground for such information. Nothing hit home more than the smelly reality of a tonne of bycatch on our helideck. I was in charge of counting the individual creatures that had been discarded. Thousands of little lives lost after just a couple of hours of trawling. What ridiculous waste, and we wonder why our seas are in crisis.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid ground?
The constant rolling takes some getting used to and my appetite has been removed (shocking for those who know me). Looking at a computer screen whilst everything around you is moving is disconcerting. It's fantastic being cooked for and the feeling of community that builds over time is pretty special.

If you could have anyone ‚ anyone at all ‚ as a cabin-mate, who would it be and why?
My cabin mates so far have been fantastic and I'm probably the one they'd vote out first!

Name: Nolan Loveridge Nationality: New Zealand Position on board: Second engineer

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
It's where the ship is campaigning right now, and I go where the ship goes

Any thoughts on the North Sea campaign?
I fully support the idea of marine reserves having seen the effects these have had in my own country where the fish stocks can be allowed to recover and the benefits to all are tremendous. Unfortunately there are not enough of them and they are not big enough to allow full scale commercial fishing nearby to resume.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid groud?
The ship moves more often then the earth does. You're a self-contained unit often far from any facilities and you require a special type of person to be here, someone who can live in close proximity to others who are often the only people you interact with for months on end bt in the workplace, at mealtimes and socialising.

If you could have anyone as your cabin mate, who would it be and why?
A difficult question as I have never had a cabin-mate either here or on a commercial ship. However if I was pushed I would probably plump for my grandson Tom as I love his humour and his quest for learning.

Name: Penny Age: 40 Nationality: British Position on board: Deckhand

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship on the North Sea?
I'm here to focus eyes and minds on issues to which governments and businesses would rather we remain blind and ignorant.

Any thoughts on the North Sea campaign?
The North Sea for centuries has fed us and provided jobs and a means of transport and trade, we have found recreation amogst its beaches and cliffs; more recently it has given up its ancient stores of gas and oil. We have scoured its bottom for the sand and gravel to use in cement to build our houses, and used it as a dumping ground for nuclear waste, weapons, sewage and chemical effluent. It has given us a great deal.

But it seems time is running out. The evidence shows that it cannot sustain this level of abuse and remain whole. It is not the inexhaustable supply that those who profit from it would have us believe. It is a living, breathing, incredibly complex system which miraculously, if left alone, has the ability to recover

No-one wants to stop all use and exploitation of the North Sea, but if we take money out of the equation for a while, if we look to the common good rather thanthe individual profit, if we look to our future instead of now, marine reserves make sense.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid ground?
It would be 'hope' because sometimes, travelling around the world with Greenpeace, looking at all the problems, I feel that mankind has opened a Pandora's box.

Name: Natalia Tsigaridou Age: 27 Nationality: Greek Position on board: Volunteer deckhand

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship on the North Sea?
I wanted to join a Greenpeace ship as a volunteer and I was available for this period. I've always wanted to see the North Sea, so I'm happy to be here.

Any thoughts on the North Sea campaign?
Before joining the ship and being informed about the campaign I didn't know that the North Sea was facing so many problems. I've had the chance to see some very beautiful places, but sea-life is absent. Therefore I hope that our campaign gives a strong message to the governments and makes them understand that protecting the environment is far more important than making money.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid ground?
Solid ground doesn't usually move. We live as members of a small community and life here seems more simple in some aspects. It's the most incredible feeling to be surrounded by water. I just love the endless horizon.

If you could anyone as a cabin mate, who would it be and why?
My love, of course...

Name: Marta Ibanez-Gutierrez Age: 32 (I had my birthday on board) Nationality: Spanish Position on board: Deckhand

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship on the North Sea?
I joined for the whale campaign in Iceland and the North Sea was the next step of my 3 months as a volunteer on board.

Any thoughts on the North Sea campaign?
Well something needs to be done to protect the marine life here. It's going to be tough, but we've made a start.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid ground?
Your cage is smaller but you can still switch off and disappear in your freetime to do your writing, reading or maybe take a sauna if you want to. It's as simple and complicated as this: worktime is worktime, time off is time off.

If you could anyone as a cabin mate, who would it be and why?
My best friend would be nice, but if you really want the truth you're not gonna get it. Sorry. Besides, I'm too demanding so Mr Cabin-mate would have to be touching perfection.

Name: Mike Harms Age: 33 Nationality: German Position on board: Electrician/Hairdresser

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
A friend of mine worked on Greenpeace ships and I always wanted to work for GP too. When I heard they were looking for an electrician on board the Esperanza I applied and joined the ship in Alaska. That was such a great experience that I am now here for my third trip...

Any thoughts on the North Sea, the campaign, fishy stuff, marine reserves etc?
After the first few weeks it seems to be a good campaign. I hope that we will make even more progress in the coming time.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid ground?
On the ship you're working, just like at home. But on the ship you're travelling from place to place at the same time. You can enjoy being in the middle of the sea and you are part of the crew which is like a big family.

Name: Just van den Broek Age: Over the hill Nationality: Dutch Position on board: Campaigner

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
I love the seas and this is the closest one to my home.

Any thoughts on the North Sea campaign?
On the beach I want to walk with my feet in nice clean water and see dolphins jumping just a few hundred metres away. From my own little boat I like to enjoy a sea full of life. I want to see crabs, fish, porpoises and birds passing by while sailing from wave to wave.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid ground?
Dinner times are fixed and sleeping is great on a light swell.

If you could have anyone as a cabin mate, who would it be and why?
Unfortunately I had to leave my favourite roommate at home.

Name: Oliver Knowles Age: 29 Nationality: British Position on board: Campaigner

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
I've been working as a campaigner for Greenpeace UK for three years and joined the oceans team at the beginning of 2004. I've been working on developing our marine reserves campaign in the office - now I'm at sea to help defend our proposed reserves.

Any thoughts on the North Sea campaign?
We need to take urgent action to protect the North Sea. It's been badly treated for many years and is in serious decline. If Europe's politicians take the necessary action to set up large-scale marine reserves the North Sea will be given proper protection and have a chance to recover.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid ground?
I think you've answered your own question. And you can't get houmous, so I could never be at sea for a long time.

If you could have anyone as a cabin mate, who would it be and why?
Ricky Gervais - I'd like his take on life on a ship.

Name: Theo de Winter Age: 42 Nationality: Dutch Position on board: Actions co-ordinator

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
I am on board of this ship because they wanted somebody to organise actions for the North Sea campaign.

Any thoughts on the North Sea campaign?
I am very worried about the situation in the marine reserve. This motivates me a lot to do what I am doing at sea. If we can win this, we really can save an important part of nature. I have seen the industrial fishing methods and I'm convinced that's the wrong track. If we don't change this, something very beautiful will be lost forever.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid ground?
The rhythm is very different. You are together 24 hours a day with people who are all working on the same subject. This creates a bond, which makes the chance of success of the campaign bigger. We all grow into the campaign more and more. It is nice to work together with crew, campaign and action people. Every day we start with a cleaning job.

If you could have anyone as a cabin mate, who would it be and why?
I'm quite happy with my cabin mate. We know each other very well from other actions. At the moment we are all preparing equipment for different action scenarios.

Name: Sebastian Ostefeldt Jensen Nationality: Danish Position on board: Activist

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
I'm on board the Esperanza because I cannot just lay back and watch the waywe use the Earth with such disrespect. People shouldn't be allowed to destroy things that belong to everyone on this Earth. We need to do something now. That's why I'm here.

I joined Greenpeace in August 2002 after feeling frustrated by big companies that take advantage of others with the sole purpose of getting more money. I have participated in many European campaigns including oil, genetic engineering and polluting energy.

Name: Arjen Nationality: Dutch Position on board: Oceans campaigner

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship on the North Sea?
I studied environmental sciences and worked in marine and fisheries as a scientist for eight years as well as spending a couple of years in marine policy. A year ago I joined the oceans campaign at Greenpeace Netherlands, working on the MV Esperanza several times. I have spent most of my life sailing on yachts and traditional Dutch boats.

Any thoughts on the North Sea campaign?
The problems in the sea are many and complex: overfishing, habitat (seafloor and soft coral) destruction, pollution, dumping and discharges of radioactive material - it's simply unbelievable that it still continues. Despite that, it is crystal clear that the seas and the oceans are not of much interest to politicians and policy makers. The sea is far away, so it's blowing in the wind. The people working out there are having a hard time.

There are plenty who know what is going on, and see the need for changes. However, if you have to clear a massive debt, pay your crew and feed your family, it seems you have no choice. We don’t pretend to have a panacea for all the problems of the seas and the oceans, but, like it goes in this world, sometimes you have to bang the drum hard to be heard by the people who make the decisions. That's why Greenpeace is still very, very important. We can go out there, and give a voice to the voiceless.

Name: Sari Nationality: Finnish Position on board: Campaigner/diver

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
I am on board as the spokesperson and campaigner for the Greenpeace Nordic office. Greenpeace is campaigning for Marine Reserves in all the northern European seas and I have just returned from a diving research tour in the Baltic Sea. I'm a marine biologist and commercial diver, so naturally the state of the sea is of great concern to me. I am grateful to be out here participating in this important tour.

I started working for Greenpeace last year and have participated in and organised other Greenpeace oceans activities this summer. This is my first tour on the MV Esperanza.

Name: Iris Henn Nationality: German Position on board: Oceans campaigner

How come you’re on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
Having spent seven years working at a research institute focusing mainly on North Sea ecology, I decided to get more involved in protecting the environment - so I joined Greenpeace Germany 18 months ago. My main work now is research, compiling data for the maps and developing our proposal for Marine Reserves. I have been on research vessels for Greenpeace but this is my first tour on the MV Esperanza.

Name: Dr. Thomas Henningsen Nationality: German Position on board: Campaign co-ordinator

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship on the North Sea?
I'm a marine biologist and a campaign co-ordinator with ship experience. I'm here to fight for large-scale Marine Reserves and for the survival of the environment as a whole. I've been with Greenpeace for 13 years, working on all the ships, on various campaigns.

Name: Bjoern Jettka Nationality: German Position on board: Press officer

How come you’re on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
As a young child my family took me to the North Sea island of Langeoog. It was my first visit to the beach and I was thrilled by the sand and the waves. I also remember sticky little black spots of oil on the beach. It was such a normal occurrence that the tourist shops sold detergent to the tourists to wash their blackened feet.

I worked as a journalist for Radio Bremen and WDR for six years before joining Greenpeace two and half years ago. I chose to be involved with the oceans campaign because I believe it is at the root of what Greenpeace is about. I also want to ensure that future generations don't have to remember their first visit to the beach in the way I do!

Name: Jetske Nagtglas Nationality: Dutch Position on board: Volunteer boat driver

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship on the North Sea?
I've been a volunteer with Greenpeace since 1998 and involved with all the campaigns. As a boat driver I feel very strongly about protecting the seas, especially the one that is near to where I live. I have taken part in actions involving Greenpeace ships before, usually for periods of less than a week. This time I get to experience life on a board for a whole month.

Name: Philip Reynaers Nationality: Belgium Position on board: Photographer

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship on the North Sea?
I’ve been a professional photojournalist since 1994 - covering several conflicts in Africa, Europe and the Middle East as well as environmental issues in Europe, Asia and the US.

I began working with Greenpeace as a press officer for the Belgium office, evolving into the freelance photojournalist I am now. As a photographer I have covered dozens of Greenpeace actions over the years.

Growing up as a child in the city, the sea mainly appeared to me as shades of North Sea green next to wonderful sand dunes - ideal to play hide and seek,
build sand castles and defend them against the rising tide. Thirty years on, the game has become very serious. Not only is the entire ecosystem harbouring these sand dunes under threat from rising sea levels, but the sea itself is severely at risk from over-exploitation. North Sea oil, gas and fish are finite resources that we waste with infinite resourcefulness. We are now on a very dangerous threshold.

The North Sea greatly deserves our attention. Thanks for looking at this website. I hope you will discover some of the hidden treasures of the North Sea.

Name: Wolf Wichmann Nationality: German Position on board: Remote operated vehicle operator/diver

How come you’re on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
I am a geologist, science journalist and media science consultant. Since 1987 I have worked for Greenpeace Germany as a campaigner on defending the North Sea and as a science consultant on the marine environment. I have also been involved in actions, diving, documentation, research and investigation.

Name: Luke Hindmarch Nationality: British Position on board: Third mate

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship in the North Sea?
I work for Greenpeace on the ships. Professionaly it is interesting, challenging and rewarding. It's nice to be doing something of real and not of novelty value. The crew is internaional and gender balanced. I like to sail on the same ship as my partner occasionally (she has just left) as we have being doing for the last 13 years.

Any thoughts on the North Sea campaign?
Fish can't thrive if their habitat and food is continually destroyed and their young are caught before breeding age. Regulation to limit quotas only result in either undersize fish being dumped - a spectacular waste of precious resources - or illegal fishing. Marine reserves allow fish stock growth and provide an area that can be easily policed, since there should be no fishing boats there at all.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid ground?
Ships are a very special environment which develops ( an occasionally exacerbate) social interaction. Life goes on 24 hours but the type and level of activity various considerably over the day and night.

If you could have anyone as a cabin mate, who would it be and why?
There are people I would like to have on board, but my abin is my place of refuge away from it all and my best companion is a good book.

Name: Kim Scoppink Age: 23 Nationality: Dutch Position on board: Volunteering as assitant-assistant engineer.

How come you're on a Greenpeace ship on the North Sea?
At the start of May I joined the Esperanza for an action as one of six Dutchie canoeists. We ended up doing three actions and sfter these I stayed on. They ust couldn't get rid of me.

Any thoughts on the North Sea campaign?
It's a brave campaign because it will be very difficult to make any changes. But we wouldn't be Greenpeace if we ran away from this. Sometimes I think the North Sea is dead already and we should focus on areas where more can be done for nature, like the Amazon. Biodiversity is so threatened by industrialisation. I hope wecan make a difference here.

How does life on a ship differ from living on solid ground?
You don't have to do your own shopping and cooking...

If you could anyone as a cabin mate, who would it be and why?
George W Bush, so he can see how so-called criminals try to save the environment.