update on resistance to High-Speed Railway in the Basque Country

Society has openly given response to the High-Speed Train (HST) in the latter times. We know, and so do they, that we are many people against HST. In Hendaya, there were more than 15.000 people in a recent demonstration against this project.

TAV mine evictionSociety has openly given response to the High-Speed Train (HST) in the latter times. We know, and so do they, that we are many people against HST. In Hendaya, there were more than 15.000 people in a recent demonstration against this project. Many referendums were placed and the response against the project was widely supported. There have been also many public appearances and actions all over. But power doesn’t seem to listen and the situation is getting worse day by day. Civil disobedience and direct action are the only means we have left to stop the HSP project, and that’s why four activists took the decision to take part in this action, putting their lives in danger. It’s been three days now since 4 activists decided to go inside a tunnel in the mines in Itsasondo (Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country). They are actually blocked and chained inside the tunnel with no way to go out by themselves. Even if their situation has gone public, none of the public organizations involved have taken any measures or organized any rescue team. This has put their lives in serious danger. Besides, the explosions and the normal operations in the mines have not been stopped, making this danger even worse. As a result, we are facing a really dangerous scenario, not only because the explosions have not been stopped, but also because public powers are acting with absolute neglect, putting the lives of the activists in real serious risk. How can it be possible that in these times when life is publicly extolled, public powers show so little respect for the lives of those citizens? How can all those who talk so much about “the people’s choice” go on with their project to build the High-Speed Train, after many people and organizations have widely showed their refusal to this infrastucture? For all these reasons we encourage people to join us in the demonstration that will be held tomorrow, 4th of July in Ordizia (Gipuzkoa-Basque Country), 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and also to show their support to the activists in the mine by coming to the support camp in Itsasondo (Gipuzkoa).

2010-07-04
Under the slogan “Till stopping HST, resistance in Itsasondo’s mines” a demonstration left Ordizia yesterday in solidarity with the initiative of four activists whom chained themselves inside a mine on Thursday. At the same time, the demo demanded the cease of works for the High Speed Train. The event linked the towns of Ordizia and Beasain, making two stops in the works of this infrastructure, which particularly affects the valley of Goierri. The attitude of the Regional Home Department and the Basque Railway Network ignoring the presence of the activists inside the mines and continuing with the works has provoked big anger which was noticible during the demonstration. After teh demo, a large group of demonstrators cut the railway rail traffic for at least five minutes after taking over the Beasin RENFE train station (RENFE, the Spainsh railway company is the other companny involved in the project). The rally yesterday was not the only event held in solidarity with activists in recent days. On the evening of Friday, unknown activists cut the water supply for the Mariaratz construction site, where activists are chained. the action aimed also to show their disgust at the attitude of the institutions regarding the 4 chained activists and to disrupt in the same way the construction of this infrastructure. Remain underground Meanwhile, the four activists, who are now into their fifth day chained to concrete-filled drums without the option of leaving on his own feet, noticed their health deteriorating because of the harsh consequences of the mines, mainly high dampness and wetness. Yesterday morning a walk happened too with the aim of communicating with the activists, who said that they were “very tired and weak.” They were affected by the high humidity inside the mines where they are. There were no search Haitzuluetako Aurkariak (activist group) announced the exact location where the chain activists were last Saturday, in order to force a new search. The regional police claimed to have no record of the presence of these activists in the area. Therefore, the support group isisted for the search to be repeated. Apparently the Ertzaintza did not enter the area during all day yesterday. The action started on Thursday morning, but the explosions for the construction of the HST tunnel did not stop. There were constant blasting on Thursday and Friday and even the chained activists felt detachments of walls and ceiling inside the mine. According to the location they gave on Saturday, the activists would be in the 4th mining zone within the Ordizia-Itsasondo construction site, a few meters from the core of the explosions.

A day later (5/07/2010) the Basque police, the Ertzaintza, have evicted the four anti TAV activists who have been locked-on in the Itsasondo mines. The first two are currently (17:30) on their way to the station to give evidence, after going to the health centre for a check-up. The last two have since been evicted from the mines. Throughout the afternoon about a 100 people have been gathering at the mouth of the mine to show solidarity with the activists. They have been charged with “public disorder, resistance and disobedience to authority.”

TAV truck digger-divingOn 6th July, despite the TAV trucks having security escorts, we sat in front of the vehicles. The truck driver was very aggressive, grabbing us by the throat and threatening us. He drove at us, so we got out of the way before being hit. He tried to attack with a club, but the security guards restrained him! We denounce this aggression and will continue to resist from the Leginetxe squatted workers’ cottages.

There will be a protest action camp against the TAV from 26th July to 1st August.

Beat the Boreholes! Stop Shell Hell in Mayo this Summer!

BEAT THE BOREHOLES!!
Stop Shell Hell in Mayo in 2010.
A continuous mass act of civil disobedience is planned against Shell this Summer in Mayo, Ireland.

rossport solidarity camp
BEAT THE BOREHOLES!!
Stop Shell Hell in Mayo in 2010.
A continuous mass act of civil disobedience is planned against Shell this Summer in Mayo, Ireland.
Shell plan to drill up to 80 boreholes to survey the Sruth Fhada Chonn estuary for their proposed raw gas pipeline. We plan to stop them! Work will start in July & continue till mid-October. The idea is that groups or individuals pledge to stop a borehole at a some time this summer. Actions could range from walking out on the sands to boarding drilling rigs. The aim is to get each of the 80 boreholes assigned a Beat the Borehole group. Between local groups, national Shell to Sea groups, other supportive political groups, groups from abroad, student groups, surfers, kayakers we might just do it! The project is already a decade late and three times over budget; impressive for a small community fighting one of the biggest multinationals in the world!

Why Stop the boreholes?
Shell plan to build a tunnel at a cost of 100million euro under the estuary linking up the offshore pipeline with the refinery. This new route avoids land at Rossport where 5 local men were sent to jail for opposing Shell 5 years ago. The new route is still close to several houses & crosses protected habitats including salt marsh, inter-tidal mud flats & blanket bog. The boreholes are to provide a survey of the estuary to determine the final plans for the tunnel. Due to the tides, & seasonal nature of the job any disruption to work will slow the process down & could prevent them getting an adequate survey done this year. They have to stop in mid-Oct on the arrival of the Brent Geese. The estuary is a Specially Protected Area & part of the Broadhaven bay Special Area of Conservation; protected under EU legislation. The operation will damage parts of the estuary & disturb the wildlife there, particularly Atlantic salmon,otters & several species of birds.

Information about the drilling operation
Each borehole will take 2.5 days & up to 4 a week could be made. They will be drilling from 7am-7pm every week day but not at weekends. There will be movement of barges & personnel outside these hours. Two jack-up barges will be working at once in the estuary.

Ideas for Action
We are asking people to come to Mayo & pledge to Beat a Borehole! Here are some ideas for action:

* Walk out on the sands at low tide to the drilling rigs.
* Stop the machines driving over the beach/mudflat areas
* Have a picnic & hold banners on the beach.
* Row out to the rigs in currachs & try & get in the way.
* Kayak in our inflatables out to the rigs & get in the way ( (training session essential, but as long as you can swim anyone can learn).
* Board the drilling rigs.
* Block the boats with nets.
* Disrupt the flow of personnel/equipment from Ballyglass pier

The Solidarity Camp is situated on land right next to the estuary. Everyone is welcome to stay here & we can provide equipment/training if required. There is also a camp house & a local hostel nearby if camping isn’t for you!
If you would like to pledge to Beat a Borehole please email/ring the camp +353(851141170)
rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com. For more information about Shell in Mayo see www.rossportsolidaritycamp.org
www.shelltosea.com

Direct action against the High-Speed Railway in the Basque Country

Itsasondo – FROM MINES AGAINST HIGH-SPEED TRAIN
Today, July 1, we have locked ourselves up inside an underground mine with the aim of stopping the construction of the HST and the destruction this is causing/will/would cause, to denounce the social model it represents.

Basque anti-TAV barrel lock-onItsasondo – FROM MINES AGAINST HIGH-SPEED TRAIN
Today, July 1, we have locked ourselves up inside an underground mine with the aim of stopping the construction of the HST and the destruction this is causing/will/would cause, to denounce the social model it represents.

Four people locked themselves up in underground mines Itsasondo, with no way out. But they are not alone, outside many people athered to protect them and to show them our support.

Near here, at the Mariaratz construction site, there are daily explosions – explosions which destroy Earth and everything on/in/within it. as a consequence of the tunnel digging these mines can collapse, endangering the lives of these four people. Therefore, we demand the immediate halt of the works.

We know the risk is high. We’ve got into the depths, to secure this land with our bodies. We are locked into the mines to defend our ideas and to denounce the lack of a sense of the powerful. Our bodies are our weapons, direct action our way. Once again we have gathered here in Goierri (one of the valleys where the railway linking Bilbo with Donostia (Saint Sebastian) would run through), because the situation in the area is really worrying. They are currently working on five points: Mariaratz, Olaberria, San Martín, and Berostegi Itsasondo.

In October last year we climb the trees to stop the work and warn people about the situation and today we had to get underground. Trees and land, two key elements and seriously affected by the HST works. They know and we know that many people are against the HST. More than 15,000 people in the manifestation of Hendaye, clearest results in popular consultations and other events.

But power is deaf to this massive opposition and the situation is worsening. Civil disobedience and direct action are the only way we can stop this disaster, and as long as they keep so adamant to build the HST we will continue to confront them. Horizontal organization and self-organization, that’s the way. To transform this social model we need to change the basis of it, priorizing proximity and small things, building local networks and promoting peoples’ lifestyle and culture.

Therefore, we invite you come along to Itsasondo, to participate in the organised activities and protests and to spread information and mobilize on behalf of these activists and against the HST in your villages and cities.

– Everyday vigil at 7 pm in Itsasondo.
– Demonstrations in the towns – Sunday 4th July, rally at 5 pm from the Plaza de Ordizia

ONGOING INFORMATION POINT at Itsasondoś main square Contact: 695 715 510
makinengainetik.animaliak@gmail.com

http://www.avatartherevolution.com/en/1
http://www.sindominio.net/ahtez/?q=es (Spanish)

(Brief update: the construction company, the Basque Railway Service and the police have all refused to stop the explosions of the tunnel excavations, thereby endangering the lives of the four activists who are currently underground)

Attack on GM field in Pully, Switzerland

During the night of June 23-24, an experimental field of GM wheat was attacked with herbicides with the aim of killing the plants and preventing research into genetically modified organisms. This was despite 24 hour guard, a double fence, CCTV and plain clothes cops in the surrounding streets.

During the night of June 23-24, an experimental field of GM wheat was attacked with herbicides with the aim of killing the plants and preventing research into genetically modified organisms. This was despite 24 hour guard, a double fence, CCTV and plain clothes cops in the surrounding streets. Unlike in 2008 and 2009 when the field was also decontaminated, the research centre this year did not issue a press release about the ecotage.

The activists explained, “Opposition to genetic engineering is part of a wider opposition to the total control of society and life that is being created thanks to the development of nano and biotechnology.

For these reasons, we also want to express our solidarity through concrete actions with those who oppose this technoscientfic capitalist system, and in particular with Marco Camenisch, Silvia, Costa and Billy, revolutionary prisoners who are now jailed in Switzerland because they understood that words are not enough and that action is needed to create radical change, even if this means risking their own freedom.

Communique in full

Anti-GM cycle caravan and links to other anti-genetics info

Shell due to start work next week & report from Rossport Solidarity Camp

June 25, 2010
Things are getting very busy here – after a peaceful June Gathering the camp is once more set to become a focal point for resisting Shell pipeline work. Shell are due in the estuary any day now to drill 80 boreholes – pipeline survey work that should take all summer. Yesterday we shut down the Shell office in Belmullet. Today Maura Harrington was jailed for non payment of fines. Niall and Pat are still in jail. Generally it seems that lots of people are wising up to the oil industry in the wake of the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico….

Strength in Community, RossportJune 25, 2010
Things are getting very busy here – after a peaceful June Gathering the camp is once more set to become a focal point for resisting Shell pipeline work. Shell are due in the estuary any day now to drill 80 boreholes – pipeline survey work that should take all summer. Yesterday we shut down the Shell office in Belmullet. Today Maura Harrington was jailed for non payment of fines. Niall and Pat are still in jail. Generally it seems that lots of people are wising up to the oil industry in the wake of the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico….

Stop Shell
Roof Occupation Protest at Shell’s Belmullet Offices
Campaigners hung a banner reading “Energy shouldn’t cost the earth” from the roof of Shell offices in Belmullet on Thursday morning at 8am. This protest connected the environmental disaster suffered by the fishing community & people of Louisiana with the threat faced by the fishing community and people of Erris. In particular the protest was in solidarity with Pat O’Donnell who has been jailed for his courageous defense of the seas and his livelihood.
The protest blocked the entrance to the offices preventing Shell workers from entering that day!
Press Release and photos here: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/97054

Foreshore License Granted – Borehole Drilling Imminent
Yesterday Shell circulated a letter giving notice that the borehole drilling would commence “in the coming days”.
Recently Shell got the sign-off from “Green” Minister John Gormley on plans to bore 80 bore-holes in Sruwaddacon bay. Once again the community and camp will be opposing the Shell work both on land and at sea. Water-action training is ongoing. It will be a summer long job if they get started, so support up here would be great whenever possible. Now would be a good time to come.

There have already been contractors around doing initial surveys for the contract to construct the 5km tunnel under the estuary – one candidate company is called ICOP from Italy. Pressure on them would be no harm.

Here is their website: http://www.icop.it/tool/home.php
And address:
I.CO.P. S.p.A.
via Silvio Pellico 2
33031 Basiliano UD,
Italy

And contacts: info@icop.it, tunnelcom@icop.it, fondazioni@icop.it, amministrazione@icop.it, personale@icop.it, acquisti@icop.it, tecnici@icop.it

T. +39 0432-838611
F. +39 0432-838681

Please write to Pat & Niall – political prisoners
As a lot of you are aware Pat O’Donnell and Niall Harnett are currently in Castlerea Prison for convictions arising from protests against the Corrib Gas project. You can read more on Pat’s jailing here: http://www.shelltosea.com/content/shell-corrib-gas-who-…llies or more on Niall’s jailing here: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/96547

Please also ‘Like’ the ‘Support Shell to Sea prisoners of conscience’ page on Facebook (if you’re on it): http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Support-Shell-to-Sea-prisoners-of-conscience/112831115416555?ref=ts and Pat’s page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pat-ODonnell/313999028104?ref=ts

Letters to Pat and Niall greatly appreciated –
Pat O Donnell / Niall Harnett,
Castlerea Prison,
Harristown,
Castlerea,
Co Roscommon,

Rossport Solidarity Camp Wishlist
You might have something lying around that you don’t want or need anymore.
At the moment we could use:

* Wheelie bins, plastic barrels, pallets (will probably find locally)
* Working Rechargeable Power tools
* Boats and outboard motors of any size or make: Power boats, sail boats, rigid sea kayaks would be especially useful as they can’t be punctured or sunk too easily
* Bandsaw
* PV panels, inverters, batteries
* Trailer that a Ford Transit could tow. Something like a horse trailer and fairly weather proof would be ideal to transport bikes.
http://www.shelltosea.com
rossportsolidaritycamp at gmail dot com

Annual Rossport Gathering report

Supporters from around the world joined in the annual gathering over the past weekend at the Rossport Solidarity Camp at Broadhaven Bay, County Mayo in support of the Shell to Sea campaign. A large contingent of cyclists travelled from Britain via Merthyr Tydfil in Wales where another campaign is focussed to stop an ugly open-cast coal mine which is destroying the environment, polluting air and water and endangering the community.

The gathering at Rossport has been held every year since before the jailing of the Rossport 5 in 2005 – local residents who refused, for reasons of health, safety and clean environment, to allow Shell / Statoil to lay an experimental high-pressure raw gas pipeline through their properties. The Irish government had, in an unprecedented move, provided the multi-nationals with compulsory purchase orders. The five were given indefinite prison sentences but were released after 3 months following massive public outcry. A later hearing vindicated them when the original pipeline route was rejected because of dangerous proximity to dwellings.

A new route is now being put forward, but is still considered unacceptable by Shell to Sea who believe that the only safe way to bring the gas ashore is by refining it at sea and bringing it in at low pressure. The dangers have been well highlighted by disasters worldwide including the Piper Alpha explosion, the pipeline explosion at Carlsbad, New Mexico (August 2000 when a family of 12 living over 200 metres away were completely wiped out), the outrageous death and destruction in Nigeria and now the BP oil disaster.

The Merthyr to Mayo cycle rally called at Castlerea prison to support fisherman Pat O’Donnell and fellow Shell to Sea supporter Niall Harnett who are both now serving jail terms for obstructing police who had been brought in the ensure Shell employees were not hampered in their work – the Irish government takes care of big business without regard for the livelihoods of the local community and the health of their environment !

The whole project was pushed ahead without consulting the local people – the refinery, 9 km inland (selected because it was state-owned forestry land) now approaching completion and the seaward pipeline layed. But still no legally permitted nor locally agreed inland route ! And not likely to be ! Local campaigners have had their lives totally disrupted for more than 10 years now with this nonsense and are utterly committed to the point of putting their lives on the line, literally.

Sea Shepherd Attacked in Libyan Waters again (+ eye-witness account)

19th June 2010

Sea Shepherd vessel, the Steve Irwin, was attacked today in Libyan waters as it attempted to free Bluefin from cages. Their Operation Blue Rage has gone swimmingly until now, and the Steve Irwin is currently heading up to International waters.

19th June 2010

Sea Shepherd vessel, the Steve Irwin, was attacked today in Libyan waters as it attempted to free Bluefin from cages. Their Operation Blue Rage has gone swimmingly until now, and the Steve Irwin is currently heading up to International waters.

This latest attack is ominous, considering Captain Bethune’s recent trial in Japan. Bethune was found guilty of several charges after he boarded the ship of a captain responsible for ramming and sinking a Sea Shepherd vessel under his command.

To make matters worse, former allies with the WWF and Greenpeace have turned tail on the international whaling ban that has been in effect for over two decades, leaving Sea Shepherd, which employs direct action on the side of International law by using aggressive methods to deter whaling vessels, in the lurch.

Steve Irwin Attacked in Libyan Waters
Operation Blue Rage: Day Twelve of the Mediterranean Patrol

Saturday, June 19th, 2010
Location: Off the Coast of Libya

At 0900 Hours the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin moved into Libyan waters to inspect the remaining cage being towed by the Italian vessel Cesare Rustico. With the Sea Shepherd helicopter overhead, our inflatable Delta boat and dive team approached the cage.

The Cesare Rustico dropped the tow line and turned to defend the cage. At the same time the fishing vessels the Tagreft and the Rabbah 1060, along with the trawler Misurate 96, moved in quickly to defend their illegal catch of Bluefin.

Immediately and without warning, the Steve Irwin was attacked with a barrage of flares aimed at the wheelhouse and the crew on deck. The Cesare Rustico issued a May Day distress signal saying they were under attack by the Steve Irwin even though the our crew had merely approached the cage to inspect the catch. Most worrying was the fact that the Sea Shepherd helicopter piloted by Chris Aultman was painted by the Libyan airborne radar system.

At that point, in the interest of safety, I ordered the Delta inflatable and helicopter to return to the Steve Irwin. We then retreated to a safe distance away from the waters claimed by Libya. The two vessels Tagreft and the Rabbah 1060 pursued and continued to fire flares at the us. We were able to lose them quickly.

The Captain of the Cesare Rustico radioed the Tagreft and Rabbah 1060 to, “do whatever you can to damage them so they will never return.”

The Captain of the Cesare Rustico said that the Libyan Navy was within a few miles and closing in. However there were no Libyan naval vessels within thirty miles on the radar.

Yesterday the Steve Irwin requested the assistance of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise to liberate the estimated 800 Bluefin tuna in this cage but they declined to assist. A contact within Greenpeace informed us that under no circumstances was Greenpeace to enter waters claimed by Libya..

The Steve Irwin is now heading towards Cyprus and Turkey in search of Bluefin poachers.

—-

This is an eyewitness account from an action by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which set out onto the Mediterranean Sea last month in search of bluefin tuna poachers. As one of the most valuable fish in the world, the bluefin populations in the Mediterranean region have been reduced by over 85% in the last 50 years due to relentless industrial overfishing. Crew member Wietse van der Werf reports.

It is night when we enter Libyan waters. Everyone on the ship is excited, yet somewhat anxious about what is coming. We are the first to enter these waters in search of illegal bluefin tuna fishing. Neither observers from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which ‘manages’ the fishery, nor French or Maltese navy vessels operate here. We are determined to find a floating cage full of illegally caught bluefin tuna, by now an endangered fish, and release them.

Our helicopter has been out for some time when it spots a target. Two tugs, towing a cage each, both full of tuna and headed for the tuna fattening farms in Malta. Down in the engine room we work to get the ship the extra thrust it needs to arrive at the target as soon as possible. Having a quick look up on deck, I can spot two vessels on the horizon. Around here you don’t have to look far to find illegal fishing.

Closer to the vessels we request permission to inspect the fish. Only a certain percentage of undersized fish, known as juveniles, are allowed. This is often where the violations occur. Our request is refused. The fishermen state that the fish were caught on the last day of the allowed fishing season and that the cage contains the catch from eight different fishing ships. The story doesn’t add up. The bad weather conditions in the fishing grounds we have witnessed in the last few days, which make fishing virtually impossible, and the relatively short distance the boats are from the fishing grounds make us highly suspicious of their story.

The engine room phone rings. ‘Hold on, we’re putting the bow over the cage to see what’s inside’. We hold on and feel a shudder going through the ship as we park it against the cage. At that moment one of the fishing vessels, Rosaria Tuna, moves at speed towards us. Unhindered by our larger size, it smashes its bow into our port side. With a loud bang, steel bends and paint flakes off. One of the fishermen threatens us by swinging a pole with a large hook on its end across the deck. We respond by dropping a few bottles of rotten butter on their deck and they retreat. By now our ship is nosed in the pen and when it’s clear that there are many tuna inside, our divers get ready for a closer inspection.

We move away from the pen and to our disbelief the Rosaria Tuna starts moving away from the scene. Once we have moved about a mile off and our divers are ready we turn and re-approach. This is our chance. With Rosaria Tuna moving off in the distance and the other tugboat Cesare Rustico standing by, our divers jump in the pen. Meanwhile the other tug has turned and approaches at full speed. The divers report back that they can see a large number of juveniles inside. We decide to intervene. The divers descend and start cutting the net. Within minutes the gigantic net is starting to move and the first tuna are curiously moving out through the new opening. As we stand on the bow we can see a few fish swimming away from the cage, then more and more until it is entirely empty. Eight hundred fish escape.

Everyone on the ship is in a state of euphoria. High fives, hugs and smiles all around. It is the first time anyone has managed to free bluefin tuna out of one of the numerous floating cages in the Mediterranean. With a market value exceeding seven figures, this is a big deal. As the tug is getting close to our starboard side and our divers are back in the inflatable boat, we turn sharply and start heading off. Repeated MAYDAY calls from the dumbfounded fishermen come through the radio as we haul up our little boat and head north at full speed. Within the hour rumours are circulating that the Libyan navy is on its way, but with us nearly out of their waters there is little they can do. On the Libyan front it stays quiet. Perhaps the country isn’t willing to give attention to our action because they don’t want the world to see that they have let poachers operate within their waters unhindered for so long. A surveillance plane circles over us the next day as we continue on a steady course back to land.

With more than 85% of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna populations killed off in the last 50 years, the stakes are higher than ever. The spawning bluefin tuna females could be wiped out as soon as 2012. Since the failure to add the threatened fish to CITES (the UN threatened species list) due to intense lobbying from Japan, the issue has been in a political deadlock. The need for action is more acute than ever. The bluefin tuna stands as a symbol for the way in which we continue to use the oceans as an inexhaustible resource without regard for the consequences which inevitably lie ahead. The oceans are in crisis. As the most important life support system on earth we simply cannot afford to let it be damaged any further.

Steve Irwin Attacked in Libyan Waters

Steve Irwin Rammed by Bluefin Fishery Vessel;
Sea Shepherd Crew Repel Violent Assault by Fishermen;
Libyan Navy in Pursuit of the Steve Irwin

Bluefin tuna nets - Blue Rage campaignCutting tuna netsBluefin tuna swim to freedomSteve Irwin Rammed by Bluefin Fishery Vessel;
Sea Shepherd Crew Repel Violent Assault by Fishermen;
Libyan Navy in Pursuit of the Steve Irwin
Operation Blue Rage: Day Ten of the Mediterranean Patrol

Thursday, June 17th, 2010
Location: Off the Coast of Libya

Report by Captain Paul Watson, Steve Irwin

Sea Shepherd’s helicopter reconnaissance flight this morning found two fishing vessels. One was engaged in transferring bluefin tuna into one of the two nets being towed by the other vessel.

The bluefin fishery vessels were inside waters claimed by Libya and about 42 miles off the coast of North Africa.

At 1300 hours, the Steve Irwin came upon the Italian vessel Cesare Rustico towing two cages; one contained about 800 fish (the other was empty).

The Captain of the Cesare Rustico said when questioned that the tuna were caught on the morning of the 14th by the Libyan vessel Tagreft. When we replied that the number of tuna in the cage exceeded the quota for the Tagreft, the Captain said the cage also included tuna from seven other Libyan seiners. All the catches were caught on the 14th, the last legal day, according to the Captain. The other seven seiners named were the Khandheel 2, Hanibal, Ozul 2, Almadina, Morina, and Khaleej Eltahadi and one other that he had no name for. The problem with this explanation was that we had observed the Khandheel 2 on the 13th and 14th of June, and it was not fishing. In addition, weather conditions for those two days made fishing virtually impossible. The extremely difficult conditions, coupled with the position of the cages only 40 miles off the Libyan coast, when they should have been moving 25 miles a day, suggested to us that the fish were freshly caught within the last three days at the most.

Their statement that all the catches were caught on the 14th sounded much too convenient, so we asked to examine the fish for juveniles. We were refused. I then put the bow of the Steve Irwin onto the cage so we could look into the cage from the bow to examine it further.

Suddenly, the Maltese vessel Rosaria Tuna rammed the Steve Irwin on the aft port side and slid alongside the port rail, as a fisherman tried to violently gaff Sea Shepherd crewmembers with a long, sharp-hooked pole.

The Steve Irwin crew retaliated with 8 liters of rotten butter forcing the fishing vessel to retreat and to stand off.

At 1530 hours, the two fishing vessels circled their cages defensively and the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin stood off to notify ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna) of possible violations. They did not respond.

The Jean Charcot, the ICCAT inspection vessel will not venture south of 33 Degrees 40 Minutes North.

With two fishing vessels containing angry Italian crews, there were risks involved with getting into the water to assess the bluefin catch. But if the catch was illegal, Sea Shepherd divers knew they must cut the nets and free the bluefin tuna.

Sometimes it is necessary to do what needs to be done despite the risks. The risk of losing the bluefin tuna as a species is far more important than the risks to our own lives and freedom.

And so we decided to free the tuna.

At 1600 hours, a five-person dive crew entered one of two cages being towed by the Italian fishing vessel Cesare Rustico.

As the Steve Irwin held off the Cesare Rustico and the support ship Rosaria Tuna, the Sea Shepherd crew dove into the net to identify the size, age, and quantity of the bluefin tuna within. Once it was clearly established that the cage was overstocked and that a high percentage were juveniles, Sea Shepherd divers freed the 700-800 tuna.

It is our position that the bluefin tuna we freed from that cage held a large number of juveniles and that the fish were caught after the official closure of the season. It is also our position that the fish that we freed exceeded the quota.

A large percentage of the tuna were juveniles and from the position of the cages and the fact that the entire Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery closed at midnight on June 14th, Sea Shepherd is convinced that this catch was caught after June 14 and therefore Sea Shepherd holds the position that this operation by these two vessels was illegal.*

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is not a protest organization. Sea Shepherd is an anti-poaching organization and these two seiners are poachers.

A Sea Shepherd cameraman filmed the release of the fish from the centre of the cage and swimmers confirmed that all 700-800 tuna inside the enclosure were freed.

“They shot out of that net like racehorses,” said Canadian cameraman Simon Ager.

After freeing the bluefin tuna, the Steve Irwin headed north and out of the waters claimed by Libya. The Maltese media reported that Libya had dispatched warships to pursue the Steve Irwin.

There are claims in the Maltese press that a bluefin tuna fisherman was injured by our actions. No one on the Steve Irwin, in the helicopter, or in the Delta saw any incident where a fisherman was injured. We saw one man dive into the water from the side of the cage. Then, we saw him get up and give us the rude Italian arm signal. Another fisherman slashed at the crew with a hook on the end of a long pole, and one of the vessels rammed us in the port stern area.

* Notes

Given the very bad weather conditions in the zone north of Tripoli until the closure of the legal fishing season on June 14th, it is impossible that this catch was taken during the legal season. The tuna were caught post-closure, during a period of very calm weather that has predominated over the area since the 15th.

Legal Season:
Wind speed 12th June: 20-35 knots / Seas 1-2 meters
Wind speed 13th June: 20-25 knots / Seas 1-2 meters
Wind speed 14th June: 10-20 knots / Seas 1-2 meters

Post closure:
Wind speed 15th June: 10-15 knots / Seas 1 meter
Wind speed 16th June: 15 knots / Seas <1 meter Wind speed 17th June: 10 knots / Seas <1 meter

The Steve Irwin passed the Khandeel 2 (one of the vessels on the BCD document read over the VHF radio) on the 13th at 1230 at 33*36 / 13*55, less than 20 miles from where we encountered the cages towed by Cesare Rustico and Rosario Tuna on the 17th, and it was not fishing. The weather was rough.

Given the location of the capture, and the location of the tow vessel, it is impossible the catch was made 3 days ago. Heading towards Malta with an average 25 miles per day, the vessel and cage would have been much further north (the vessel was in very calm weather sitting still waiting a second vessel).

Visit our Operation Blue Rage Campaign site – http://www.seashepherd.org/blue-rage/

Area for Slaughterhouse squatted

In the early morning of May 24th, around 30 independent activists have
sqatted a field in Wietze near Celle / Hannover where europe’s biggest
chicken-slaughterhouse (2,5 Million / week) shall be built.

They’ve put up a tripod and a concrete-barrel with chains to avoid an easy
eviction. The situation is great, the owner’s don’t have a consensus, the

In the early morning of May 24th, around 30 independent activists have
sqatted a field in Wietze near Celle / Hannover where europe’s biggest
chicken-slaughterhouse (2,5 Million / week) shall be built.

They’ve put up a tripod and a concrete-barrel with chains to avoid an easy
eviction. The situation is great, the owner’s don’t have a consensus, the
police has no legal background for an eviction and locals bring loads of
vegan food and stuff.

During the squatting there will be workshops and lectures like vegan
cooking, animal exploitation, ecology and capitalism, other theory, vegan
drum-building or tripod-building and concerts with (probably) the Kafkas,
Fidl Kunterbunt…

There’s enough place, feel welcome!!!

antiindustryfarm.blogsport.de

International bike ride links communities in resistance: Merthyr to Mayo cyclist

22.5.2010
Today, a 50-strong international bike ride begins the 400 mile journey from a community resisting Britain’s largest open cast coal mine in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales to County Mayo, Ireland, where local people have spent the last ten years fighting a Shell-led gas development. We aim to offer direct support to these two local campaigns resisting the fossil fuel industry.

22.5.2010
Today, a 50-strong international bike ride begins the 400 mile journey from a community resisting Britain’s largest open cast coal mine in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales to County Mayo, Ireland, where local people have spent the last ten years fighting a Shell-led gas development. We aim to offer direct support to these two local campaigns resisting the fossil fuel industry.

30 cyclists from the UK will join the “Madrid to Mayo” cycle ride in Cork, and many others from Ireland are expected to join on route. We will spend ten days traveling up the west coast of Ireland, distributing a specially produced newspaper, “Changing Times”. Events are being held along the way, each night we’re being hosted by different community organisations, and we’ll arrive in Mayo for the Rossport Solidarity Camp June Bank Holiday Weekend Gathering at Glengad.

It’s gonna be a good laugh, but hopefully more than that – the line we are drawing from Merthyr to Mayo is a reminder that none of us can afford to see these places in isolation.

The ride begins today with an event in Merthyr Tydfil where local residents and the solidarity cyclists are sharing stories, ideas, music and food.

“Our communities’ stories are repeated across the globe in the places where fossil fuels are sourced. Large corporations move into areas regardless of the wishes of the affected population; resources are extracted and, whilst the corporations reap vast profits, the local people have to suffer the health and environmental consequences. And, as the fossil fuels are burnt they contribute to climate change, affecting everyone.” – Merthyr resident, Alyson Austin.

Both communities have a long history of resistance, and their efforts have resulted in amazing successes. In Erris, Mayo, the campaign won a sizeable victory in November last year, when Shell’s application for their onshore gas pipeline was effectively refused by the planning authorities; it is unclear when (or if) permission will be granted in the future. In Merthyr Tydfil, campaigners are currently taking out a Group Private Nuisance case against the mining company, Miller Argent. Significant numbers of local people are participating in the legal action which aims to limit the mine’s impact on residents. Climate activists recently did a solidarity action by blockading coal trains headed from the mine to Aberthaw Power Station. In recent months, Mayo has seen string of actions locally, nationally and internationally in solidarity with political prisoners Pat O’Donnell and Niall Harnett (more information on the prisoners and how to write to them, and the campaign in general, on the shell to sea website.)

Please join us on the ride, for the gathering, and in continued resistance against patriarchal white-supremacist capitalist imperialism, and the fight for social and ecological justice!

http://www.merthyrtomayo.org.uk

The new Action Update – full of of action news and analysis

In the new summer edition of the EF! Action Update, read about coal trains blockaded, peat bogs defended, and gas terminals shut down. Find out about the dangers of nanotech, current state of nuclear GM trials in the UK, Tesco uprisings, golf course trashing, tar sands action and much more.

Newcastle flotilla blockadeIn the new summer edition of the EF! Action Update, read about coal trains blockaded, peat bogs defended, and gas terminals shut down. Find out about the dangers of nanotech, current state of nuclear GM trials in the UK, Tesco uprisings, golf course trashing, tar sands action and much more.

Be inspired by our protest camp feature and the recent Titnore victory. And from across the seas, read about our brothers and sisters struggling against whaling ship sabotage, coal port pirates, riots in Zagreb, mining firm occupations in Bolivia, dam resistance in Brazil and much more.

“We are going to inherit the earth . There is not the slightest doubt about that. We Are not afraid of ruins. We carry a new world, here in our hearts. That world is growing this minute.” – Durruti

To download the latest EF!AU for printing, go to http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/efau/actionupdate_summer10print.pdf

To read the latest EF!AU online, go to http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/efau/actionupdate_summer10.pdf