Free people from forced trade: The ship has returned

September 13, 2003

The ship has returned

The ship that we had prevented from unloading 40 000 tons of genetically engineered maize at the Mexican port of Veracruz has returned, and is now unloading it's cargo. Unfortunately, we can't do all the work of the Mexican government, which is why we are taking them to court to make sure they do their job.

I did not want to have to write this weblog entry. A few hours ago we heard a rumour that the ship Ikan Altamira had snuck back into the port of Veracruz to unload it's cargo. We had this story confirmed about an hour ago.

Apparently, the less-than-honest captain had communicated with the port authorities and had received an escort into the port from the Mexican navy. They chose a route that we could not see from the Arctic Sunrise, and kept off the radio so we would not know that they were returning.

I can't say that we are happy with the return of the ship, but we never thought that we could blockade all ships carrying genetically engineered maize into Mexico. That is the job of the Mexican government, and with this action we gave them notice that they had better do their job.

That is why we are launching legal action against a number of Mexican government officials, including the Ministers of Health, Environment, Economy and Agriculture, to make sure that they fulfill their obligations under the Biosafety Protocol.

The legal complaint was announced at a press conference we had in Veracruz a few minutes ago.

Posted by EricS at September 13, 2003 06:22 PM

Comments

Well done guys!!

This action was briliant and you have my tottal support. GM food is dangerous and its mean is not to help people and defeat world famine but to make rich richer.
Go on this way!

Andrej Prebil,Slovenia-EU

Posted by: knight Andrej at September 15, 2003 08:22 AM

Yay for the Maize!! Sucked in hippies!! This is another reason I do not and will not give donations to dickhead groups like greenpeace. You really are a pathetic lot.

When you have actual proof of the negative effects of GM foods then you may have a platform from which to launch a credible case. As it is you're a bunch social terrorists. Had it occured to you that there are a large number of HUMAN BEINGS have been waiting on that FOOD? No, of course not. The off-chance that someone will develop gills in a 1000 years is much more important to prevent.

Posted by: Deyago at September 22, 2003 11:45 PM

Now , for a few more ship loads of maize and the polpotian communist losers will have a good cry.

Posted by: d at September 23, 2003 02:34 AM

Greenpeace again carries out totally immoral activity to sabotage food supplies for poor people. Mexico, Philipines, Africa, China and many others suffer the results. But not the rich countries from which Greenpeace get their money. A strange world we live in.

Posted by: david at September 23, 2003 06:12 AM

why don't you 'environmentalist' wankers spend your time and effort feeding poor people instead of preventing them from receiving food. Oh silly me, I keep forgetting that the looney left only have the capacity to protest and no ability to do anything constructive. Memo to self: give yourself an upper-cut.

Posted by: p at September 23, 2003 07:20 AM

"International football?"

Posted by: Brian Jones at September 23, 2003 08:06 AM

"International football" must be greenie for marijuana.

Which, for all you greenies reading this, is pot.

Besides, if this maize was "illegal," why was the Mexican Navy escorting it in?

Posted by: haha at September 23, 2003 10:44 AM

Well, now you know why the crew was smiling at you. Not with you, at you.

BTW - "it's" is a contraction for "it is." Didn't any of your Berkeley or Middlebury profs ever point that out?

To the commenters - violent comments directed to these middle-class-suburban boutique radicals only feeds their delusions of persecution and importance. But pointing out their willingness to let the poor starve rather than provide them with harmless GM food (i.e., "we had to destroy the village in order to save it") is right on.

Posted by: Dave S. at September 23, 2003 11:04 AM

http://bch.biodiv.org/Pilot/Record.aspx?RecordID=5809

Is this the same maize? Pursuant to its rights under the Cartegena Protocol, Mexico has approved the use of some modified maize as food.

Posted by: Joe G. at September 23, 2003 12:13 PM

"To the commenters - violent comments directed to these middle-class-suburban boutique radicals only feeds their delusions of persecution and importance. But pointing out their willingness to let the poor starve rather than provide them with harmless GM food (i.e., "we had to destroy the village in order to save it") is right on. "

Good point Dave S. But tell me this Greenpeace, why do't the consequences of your actions ever concern you.

Posted by: david at September 23, 2003 04:37 PM

"Middle-class-suburban boutique radicals"? Look at the pictures of the people on the chain anchor. They don't look like gringo hippies to me; in fact, they are Argentinian and Mexican. But perhaps you meant that they are, in fact, Mexican and Argentinian Middle-class-suburban boutique radicals. If you have been following the issue of GE food, you would know that this is not just a Berkely hippie issue at all. Mexico is the world's center of maize diversity. To say that they need US corn suggests that you have NO IDEA what you are talking about. The delegates from poor countries didn't walk out of the WTO meeting because they couldn't get enough of our good old genetically engineered corn. Why don't you work on your reading comprehension?

Posted by: jay at September 25, 2003 02:29 AM