Greenpeace Carry On!

[Styles]

Pity cod dont eat people, that would have been ironic after they jamp into the water.

[peeriebryan]

Hi Jammbarie. Welcome to the forum

 

The comments seem to have been posted here a few minutes ago - http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/comment/reply/3857#comment_form

 

but not on the main page here - http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/oceans/north-sea/cold-wet-scary-and-worth-it

 

 

No sign of Auld Rasmie's though!

[jammbarie]

Thanks for that Peeriebryan.

[peeriebryan]

^ no probs jammbarie

 

with the recent Bourbon Dolphin disaster showing how quickly a bad situation can turn into a serious disaster!!

This point was also brought up by a comment from the Greenpeace blog. Evidence points to the Bourbon Dolphin getting into difficulties during a tow, making a sharp turn and capsizing

 

The Greenpeace protest seems to have been designed to cause a fishing vessel to alter course during a tow, and maybe the timing of the stunt was a little insensitive?

[Guest Anonymous]

HA!!!!

They actually printed what I wrote, on the trawler page,

 

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/oceans/north-sea/tackling-trawlers-take-two#comment

 

Perhaps I'll try a few comments on their other pages.

 

ask the French to blow up their boat for us.

Damn good idea

 

Pity cod dont eat people, that would have been ironic after they jamp into the water.

Cod will eat anything you dangle in front of them,,, which brings to mind the image of a Greenpeace activist with no b**ls,,

[islandhopper]

No sign of Auld Rasmie's though!

He is on now. Greenpeace blogs are not working in real time mode. Takes some to have the messages checked.

[Guest Anonymous]

Hush Islandhopper

I just remembered I used an nickname on the GP site...

 

Da Auld Een

[Marvin]

Hi Malachy,

 

Just a couple of points on your post.

 

You can't really say that the stunt didn't work though. When was the last time North Sea cod stocks were mentioned on the main news bulletins?

 

Why would they be?...... there is not really much reason for it to be in the news. The cod recovery plan has been in place for a few years now and the fishermen are keeping to the quotas they are given.

 

While I don't think that putting lives at risk is a worthwhile exercise, in some ways they have been forced into it. The mainstream media is completely uninterested in environmental news, so Greenpeace have realised that the only way to keep their campaigns in people's minds is to use stunts.

 

But there is no news here Malachy...the cod stocks are not great but by all accounts they are no worse than they were in the past few years (improving if anything). The cod recovery plan is in place and the fishermen are restricted to catching next to no cod anyway. Cod is a mixed fishery and fishermen are having to avoid fishing grounds where they know that they are going to catch higher levels of cod. Nobody needs to tell the fishermen that stocks need to be protected. Also worth noting that the size of the fleet is next to nothing compared with 10 years ago due to decommissioning.

 

Brussels sets quotas in response to advice from the scientists. Illegal landing isn't a problem and the authorities are very effective in controlling the fishery these days.

 

If Greenpeace had have been doing this 10 years ago when fishing effort was much higher and there was a black fish problem then perhaps I might have understood it (but never condoned it). The information they have is hopelessly out of date and are starting a pointless campaign because the fishermen are an easy target.

 

They may lose some sympathy when they go overboard like this (excuse the pun) but they are good at reminding people that there are still two sides to the debate. Scottish media in particular are very bad at showing both sides. They tend to just take the fishermen's word as gospel.

 

mmmh...I can't really recall there ever being much sympathy for the fishermen in the press. Quotas are a fraction of what they used to be, number of vessels has been slashed and the running costs of boats have increased dramatically. When I used to work in the industry there was nothing but an endless attack on fishermen in the press.... thankfully the fishermen have put their ship in order (even worse pun than yours )

 

Another thing worth noting is that cod in sizable quantities is a rather recent (reatively speaking) phenomenon in the North Sea….

 

Greenpeace used to be an environmental action group, which strived to change the world. The only thing they seem to do now is partake in pointless publicity stunts designed to attract money….the only targets they pick are easy targets.

[engineer21]

Yeah just been having a squint at the Greenpeace page.

i see the comments from ppl here very well written esp the one with the dolphin mentioned.

 

Of course i can see how really we cannot compare the two situations as the bourbon dolphin was a sequence of unfortuante events and im sure us working in the industry have not heard the end of it however its right when u saythat doing a stunt like that is causing the fishing vessels too take avasive action and will injure someone!!

 

whats the legal take on things? anyone have any idea? i mean if i was on that fishing boat and these wallys were tying bouys onto my nets i wouldnt be happy and would love too stick a knife through the sponson on there rib!! but effectivly they are tampering with someone elses property or is that just the greenpeace way??? last time i remember greenpeace war from the brent spar but i was quite young at the time.

 

do any of the crew on these greenpeace boats get paid?? or all volenters??

they are not really doing the world much good though cos there ships are all old therefore not econimical so in some ways they are being hipocritical!!

[islandhopper]

last time i remember greenpeace war from the brent spar but i was quite young at the time.

Well engeneer21, the last time I do remember greenpeace war around Shetland, that were the days, when Greenpeace boats and those of other environmental action groups were shot by the Faeroese Coast Guard during the "Faeroese whale war" when those boats with damaged bridges called into Lerwick harbour for shelter an repair. That were the late 1970ies early 1980ies and I think you should go back to the roots in these affairs.

 

Tell them a bit about history and how they are spoiling their credits via the media or at least on their blogs.

 

Another thing is: The Faeroese and the Norwegians - or even my slowly reacting Germans - would have their fishing patrol boats in the said areas. Where are the British ones? Make that question a public question - not against greenpeace intentions but just for the security of your own folks.

 

As far as the sole swimmer is concerned: Well, you are fishermen, try to catch him and bring him befor the bars.

[vailron]

thats greenpeace for you,

[peeriebryan]

I see Greenpeace have given up on dumping people into the path of oncoming trawlers for the meantime, and are now seeking talks with "fishermen's representatives and politicians".

 

http://www.shetlandmarine.com/2007/07%20Environment/greenpeace_seek_cod_talks_in_aberdeen.htm

 

I don't know the history of their campaign, but I'd have hoped that they'd already tried that before resorting to their stunts.

 

But read on...."We are hoping to speak to politicians and spokespeople for the fishing industry while we are here. Nothing definite is in the diary as yet, but hopefully politicians and fishermen will get in touch with us to have a chat,"

 

So they haven't even organised talks, instead focusing on dangerous publicity seeking 'direct action', and are hoping fishermen will get in touch "to have a chat" after they've been in the North Sea decrying the fishing industry and sabotaging trawls! Holy hell, they really are missing the point

 

 

 

 

In a response to a comment left on their blog regarding the safety aspects of their stunt, the Greenpeace 'webmaster' stated

One of our core principles is that our campaigning is non-violent, which means we don't put anyone, other people or our own, in jeopardy. The team onboard the Arctic Sunrise is extremely experienced in carrying out marine actions and if they'd thought there was any chance that things could go wrong, they wouldn't have gone ahead.

I'm not sure how you could begin explaining to someone like that the dangers inherent in going to sea, let alone dropping people overboard into the path of trawlers

 

An interesting point was brought up by engineer21 regarding the legalities of Greenpeace's actions. As a landlubber, I have no knowledge of such things, but a quick google search seems to point towards Greenpeace endangering shipping by purposefully preventing safe navigation

[islandhopper]

One of our core principles is that our campaigning is non-violent, which means we don't put anyone, other people or our own, in jeopardy. The team onboard the Arctic Sunrise is extremely experienced in carrying out marine actions...

 

From the tour diary about the running action by the German participant Josefine Teichman as published on the German greenpeace website:

 

17 April = start of the tour

25 April = first action training (swimming in survival suits)

01 May = her first action as a swimmer when they met Norwegian trawlers

02 May = first water skooter training

03 May = first training with the inflatable boats (Fetlar inshore waters)

 

... really "extremely experienced"

[Mcdilly-Willy]

This is an extract from one of green peace's comments:

 

"The team onboard the Arctic Sunrise is extremely experienced in carrying out marine actions and if they'd thought there was any chance that things could go wrong, they wouldn't have gone ahead."

 

What a load of utter crap. There are so many unkowns and so much room for error. A towing fishing vessel is in a very dangerous position in terms of having to alter course. What if the lines had snagged?

 

No support for green peace what-so-ever

[KOYAANISQATSI]

Greenpeace, the activist group that notoriously claimed vibrators and dildos were a major threat to adult health

 

I didn't know they had there hand in there as well.

I dread to think what stunts they came up with to block them from getting in to work.

 

http://www.stats.org/stories/2007/smear_greenpeace_apple_apr6_07.htm

 

It’s easy to dismiss Greenpeace’s campaign as a cheap, self-serving publicity stunt, but it’s a stunt that has succeeded, if you look at the massive and largely uncritical media coverage.

 

The link on this bit explained a lot.--------not.