THE LETTER TO AL GORE:

MV Greenpeace, Antarctica, 
February 18 1995
mv.greenpeace@green2.dat.de

Mr. Vice President,
 
  We are five U.S. citizens onboard the M.V. Greenpeace as part
of a 27 person crew representing 11 nations.  We write to you
from south of the Antarctic convergence, 300 miles north of the
Ross Sea and deep within the newly established Southern Ocean
Whale Sanctuary.  Since December last year, we have been
conducting whale research, UV and plankton studies, and other
scientific observations which we hope will help to shed more
light on the Antarctic ecosystem and the threats it faces.   
Ten days ago we found a whaling fleet -- a factory ship and 
three catchers from Japan harpooning whales at the entrance to 
the Ross Sea.  This is well inside the Whale Sanctuary.  We are 
outraged that this slaughter continues in spite of the fact that 
the Sanctuary was agreed by the United States and 22 fellow 
member nations of the International Whaling Commission, and 
opposed by just one. 
 
Our intention is to stop this slaughter by putting ourselves 
between the whales and the harpooners.  These are tactics with 
which we are sure you are familiar.  We will continue to do so
for  as long as we are able, in an attempt to prevent whales from 
being killed.
 
But we can obviously not prevent this whaling by ourselves. 
Although we will interfere with the hunting as much as we can 
while we are here, we can not stay forever.  And if such whaling 
is to be stopped outright, it will require pressure of a 
different kind from different sources -- from the people and 
governments of the world.
 
The government of New Zealand agrees with us, and has filed  a
formal protest with Japan over whaling in the Sanctuary.  Today, 
we heard that Australia has followed suit.  
 
Mr. Vice President, last year you demonstrated great personal 
commitment to the establishment of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. 
We urge you now to formally protest to the Japanese Government 
for allowing its citizens to carry on a whale hunt along the pack 
ice of the Antarctic.                                   
 
Sincerely,
                                   
Andy Troia, Port Townsend, Washington
Paula Huckleberry, Troy, Montana
Tom Briggs, Austin, Texas
Liz Carr, Seattle, Washington
Marc Defourneaux, Haily, Idaho