From: MV Solo

Date: TUE 7-MAR-95 07:20:18 GMT -- Day 13 part I

OVER THE EQUATOR INTO THE BRAZILIAN ECONOMIC EXCLUSION ZONE

The position of the Pacific Pintail at 0700 GMT was 2 degrees and 2 minutes South and 30 degrees and 2 minutes West. The Pacific Pintail is still steering a compass course of 180 degrees South at a speed of 13.5 knots.

Tonight we crossed the equator. An amazing experience with lots of sea lore about Neptune baptizing the uninitiated.

We are now some 380 miles northeast of the Brazilian city of Natal, and 180 miles northeast of the Brazilian island group Fernando de Noronha. On February 24th, the Brazilian government issued a statement of concern in which it declared that their coast and waters "mustn't be exposed to eventual risks of accidents involving such cargoes." Greenpeace Brazil's Ruy de Goes yesterday notified the Brazilian authorities of the whereabouts of the Pacific Pintail, but at the moment of writing this update it is unclear if the authorities will undertake further action to underline their concerns.

Greenpeace calls for a world-wide ban on the production of all plutonium --whether used for military or for civil purposes-- in its campaign to halt nuclear weapons production and proliferation. The organization is encouraging countries around the world to call for a halt to the plutonium industry at the Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), in April at the United Nations in New York.

Best regards and No Nukes!

Ulf Birgander (Captain)

Bas Bruyne (Campaigner)

From: MV Solo

Date: TUE 7-MAR-95 19:04:36 GMT -- Day 13, part II

SAILING THROUGH THE BRAZILIAN ECONOMIC EXCLUSION ZONE

The position of the Pacific Pintail at 1900 GMT was 4 degrees and 14 minutes South and 30 degrees West. The Pacific Pintail is still steering a compass course of 180 degrees, due South in a straight line at a speed of 13.5 knots.

The Pintail and Greenpeace's Solo are now some 380 miles east of the Brazilian city of Natal, and 150 miles southeast of the Brazilian island group Fernando de Noronha, which we passed on a sailing distance of 8 hours. Still the Brazilian authorities have not undertaken action in line with their February 24th statement, which said that the Brazil's waters "mustn't be exposed to eventual risks of accidents involving such cargoes."

The current transport onboard the Pacific Pintail involves glassified high level nuclear waste generated in the course of plutonium reprocessing in France for the Japanese. The waste is so tremendously radioactive that a person standing close to an unshielded block of the nuclear waste would receive a lethal dose of radiation in less than 60 seconds. Over 100 of these nuclear waste shipments could occur between France and Britain to Japan within the next 15 years. Currently Brazil's marine environment as well as its population are put at risk should an accident involving the highly radioactive cargo of the Pacific Pintail occur.

Greenpeace calls on the government of Brazil to formally prohibit these dangerous shipments from sailing through the waters under their jurisdiction. Only such a course of action could prevent the plutonium production companies British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. and Cogema from making the route around Brazil's coastline into a regular route for future shipments of both waste and plutonium. Previously both plutonium production companies have used the route through the Panama Canal for the shipment of nuclear waste between Japan, Britain and France. Recent protest from nations in the Caribbean and Latin America have forced the Pacific Pintail to choose an alternative route.

Give the due South course the Pacific Pintail is sailing, it is possible for it to route around Cape Horn (South America) or the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). Today, Greenpeace called on South American as well as on African nations to formally ban the shipment from their waters.

Greenpeace is calling for a world-wide ban on the production of all plutonium--both military and civil-- in its campaign to halt nuclear weapons production and proliferation. The organization is encouraging countries around the world to call for a halt to the plutonium industry at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) talks in April at the United Nations in New York.

Media and others interested in tracking the shipment's route daily should access Greenpeace World Wide Web site at: HTTP:\\WWW.greenpeace.org\

Best regards and No Nukes

Ulf Birgander (Captain)

Bas Bruyne (Campaigner)