RSS Feed
April 24th, 2013 
Greenpeace activists have boarded a coal carrier in the Coral Sea to hand over a letter of protest.
Source: AAP
A GREENPEACE activist who boarded a coal carrier after it sailed through the Great Barrier Reef is willing to stay on board until it reaches South Korea.
Queenslander Emma Giles, 34, is one of six environmentalists who boarded the MV Meister in the Coral Sea about 7am (AEST) on Wednesday.
At sunrise they left the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior on inflatable boats and drew up alongside the coal ship.
They climbed up the side using ladders and are now sitting at the bow.
The activists want to talk to the captain about his cargo but so far he hasn’t talked to them.
Greenpeace wants the state and federal governments to stop all port expansions on the Queensland coast, which they say will damage the reef.
The MV Meister protest is understood to be the first direct action protest Greenpeace has staged in Australian waters.
“We have no idea how it’s going to play out at this stage,” Ms Giles told AAP from onboard MV Meister.
“Either the coast guard will come and get us or we end up in Korea.”
Greenpeace claims the MV Meister sailed through the reef with a load of thermal coal after departing from Abbot Point coal terminal in Queensland on Tuesday evening.
Ms Giles said the coal carrier’s crew were confused when the activists boarded the ship.
“The captain was quite distressed,” she said.
“But the situation is a lot better now and we’re starting to build a bit of a relationship with the crew.”
The Queensland Resources Council, the state’s peak mining body, is looking into the incident.
Ships that depart ports between Bundaberg and Cairns sail through the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Comment is being sought from state and federal police.
Source Article from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newscomaunationalbreakingnewsndm/~3/KqTcA9MgXQU/story01.htm
Views: 0
Posted in 
