Filed under: Defending our Oceans, Greenpeace Core Values | Tags: human rights, japan, Junichi, tokyo 2, Toru, Whaling
An update from Sarah Burton, Deputy Program Director currently in Aomori, Japan on the first day of the trial.
It was Valentine’s night, and sure there was candle-light but it wasn’t a cozy tete-a-tete. Far from it. There was a bitingly cold wind as we stood vigil holding candles which read “ Justice” while we stood by an ice-sculpture in a square in the Japanese town of Aomori on the eve of the start of the trial of Junichi and Toru.
Filed under: Defending our Oceans, Greenpeace Core Values, Stop climate change, Volunteers | Tags: Activism, c2c, Copenhagen, non-violence, Red Carpet 4, Sea Shepherd, Whaling
Coverage in Spain and European free dailies continued yesterday on the campaign to release the four red-carpet activists in Copenhagen. Spanish news documented the condition of Juan Lopez de Uralde in prison as “thinner than usual”, with a quote from Kumi Naidoo referring to conditions as “harsh and disproportionate”. Reports described a cell with only a mattress and security camera.
Filed under: Defending our Oceans | Tags: Convention on Biological Diversity, Greenpeace Science Unit, Marine Reserves, Oceans
Dr. Paul Johnson
Yes, it’s true, we do indeed have scientists. And some days, we even let them out of the lab.
Today is one of those days. Our Greenpeace Chief Scientist, Dr Paul Johnston, has travelled from our international laboratory at the University of Exeter, UK to Ottawa, Canada to further our campaign to create a global network of marine reserves to protect the oceans.
Filed under: Defending our Oceans, Eliminate toxic chemicals, Project Clean Water | Tags: clean production, ecowase coalition, greenpeace water patrol, greenpeacebuzz, international coastal cleanup day, Laguna Lake
Every 3rd Saturday of September, the world celebrates International Coastal Cleanup Day. It was our second clean up event with the Youth Development Affairs Office of the Province of Laguna. While we limited the participants to about 200 youths since the venue was smaller, we were able to mobilize at least 350 Laguna youths and 58 Greenpeace Water Patrol volunteers, members of EcoWaste Coalition, Haribon UPLB, Earth UST, and St. Scholastica’s College.
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Filed under: Defending our Oceans, The Esperanza, Volunteers | Tags: Pacific Impacts Tour, The Esperanza, Tuna
From the Greenpeace Australia Pacific blog
The fuel tanker Fong Seong 888 refueling the purse seiner MV American Legacy. Both are owned by the Taiwanese Chen family network of Companies.
Filed under: Defending our Oceans, Life at work, The Esperanza, Volunteers | Tags: Oceans, Pacific Impacts, The Esperanza, Tuna
From the Greenpeace Australia Pacific blog
Just two days ago, the Japanese purse seiner, Fukuichi Maru was pulling in its purse seine net, heavy with freshly caught tuna, when we found them fishing in area 2 of the Pacific high seas. Floating and attached on their left side (or port side as we refer to it in nautical terms), was a FAD made of a very long log with a radio beacon on it. It was the first time that we caught a fishing vessel in the act of purse seining from a FAD.
Seeing this made me shake my head in disbelief. There was a two-month ban on FADs declared by the WCPFC, currently in place. But a major loophole in the ban is being exploited by Japan to continue their high seas plunder of the Pacific.(1)
Filed under: Defending our Oceans, Stop climate change, The Esperanza, Volunteers | Tags: c2c, Copenhage, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Oceans, Pacific Impacts Tour, Sharks
From the Greenpeace Australia Pacific blog
Date: Tuesday, 31 August 2009
Location: High Seas Area 1, Western Pacific Ocean
Weather conditions: Sunny day, clear skies, light breeze
Objective: To look out for FADs
A few days ago, we arrived in the High Seas of the Pacific. Since yesterday, we have been on constant watch, scanning the horizon by day, the radar by night, diligently on the look-out for FADs and fishing boats.
Up in the bridge, Gabriel (one of our dive team, and resident shark expert) was the first to go on FAD watch at 8 in the morning. And, lo and behold, you guessed it … he spotted the very thing we were looking for *ndash; a FAD!
Filed under: Defending our Oceans, Philippines, Stop climate change, Volunteers | Tags: Australia, Blogs, Pacific Impacts Tour, Philippines, Tuna, Webby
From the Greenpeace Australia Pacific Blog
Hello! My name is Mary Ann and I am from the Philippines. As I write this, we are sailing over the big blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
It has been more than 12 years since I first got involved with Greenpeace. Way back in 1990, I first read about Greenpeace on a register at the National Library. There was a picture of a GP inflatable confronting a whaling ship. That struck me very deeply, I thought wow these guys were really out there at the forefront! I promised myself that I will volunteer for the organization by hook or by crook. This was the time when there was no Southeast Asian office yet and I didn’t know how I could even start, much less volunteer for an organization that wasn´t in my country yet.
Filed under: Defending our Oceans, Life at work, Philippines, Stop climate change, The Esperanza, The Greenpeace Fleet | Tags: Australia, Climate Impacts, Pacific Impacts Tour, Philippines, The Esperanza
From the Greenpeace Australia Pacific blog
© Greenpeace/Hilton
After being instrumental in bearing witness, along with Climate activists, at the Hay Point Coal Terminal , as well as giving support for the call of the Pacific Island nations for Australia and New Zealand to cut their emissions by 45% at the recently concluded Pacific Island Forum (which turned out to be a major disappointment for the Island States) , the Esperanza will be embarking on another campaign that is the very lifeline of the Pacific: The Pacific Tuna.
Filed under: Defending our Oceans | Tags: greenpeacebuzz, Philippines, UNEP, United Nations, United Nations Environment Programme, World Oceans Day
Greenpeace volunteer collects plastic rubbish from Manila Bay, Philippines.
Greenpeace volunteer collects plastic rubbish from Manila Bay, Philippines.
“The first observance of World Oceans Day allows us to highlight the many ways in which oceans contribute to society. It is also an opportunity to recognize the considerable challenges we face in maintaining their capacity to regulate the global climate, supply essential ecosystem services and provide sustainable livelihoods and safe recreation.”
Ban Ki-moon
Secretary General
United Nations
World Oceans Day (WOD), was officially declared by the United Nations as June 8th each year beginning in 2009.
The Oceans cover more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface – they have a significant effect on our climate and play a crucial role in maintaining the many ecosystem services such as fisheries.
