From: MV Solo

Date: WED 8-MAR-95 07:30:56 GMT -- Day 14 part I

CHANGING COURSE -- LEAVING THE BRAZILIAN EEZ

The position of the Pacific Pintail at 0700 GMT was 7 degrees and 9 minutes south and 30 degrees and 37 minutes west. The Pacific Pintail changed course at 0100 GMT to a compass course of 205 degrees, due southwest and is sailing at a speed of 13.5 knots.

Yesterday, the Pintail slowed down a number of times, and onboard the Solo, we speculated that she was awaiting course orders from France. We are now some 320 miles east of the Brazilian city Recife, and have left the Brazilian Economic Exclusion Zone. We are sending two photos from the Solo to Greenpeace Communications in London today which will be posted on the Greenpeace WWW homepage. One is of the Captain and myself on the bridge of Solo tracking the Pintail's route against ocean charts.

Bas Bruyne and Ulf Birgander on the bridge of the Solo. ©Greenpeace/Sims.

The other is of our nuclear warning flag with the Pintail, barely visible, off in the distance.

Solo's flag with Pacific Pintail on the horizon. ©Greenpeace/Sims

It is still possible for the Pacific Pintail to choose either the shipping route around Cape Horn (South America) or around the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). Yesterday, Greenpeace called on South American as well as on African nations to formally ban the shipment from their waters. Thus far, only two African nations have issued protests, Ethiopia and Mauritius, while in South America opposition to the shipment has been expressed by Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

Two years ago, opposition to a shipment of weapons-usable, highly radio-toxic plutonium from France to Japan was forced to reroute after countries in the Caribbean and Latin-America declared their opposition. That particular shipment, onboard the sister-ship of the Pintail, the "Akatsuki Maru", then sailed around Southern Africa, across the Indian Ocean, passed between Australia and New Zealand and sailed northwards through a number of South Pacific Island nations before arriving in Japan. In the Pacific Ocean, Fiji, Micronesia and Nauru have stated their opposition to the possible passage of the Pacific Pintail through their waters.

Greenpeace calls 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 updates from the Solo are sent out on a daily basis at approximately 0700 GMT and 1900 GMT.

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)

BRAZIL ENFORCES 200 MILE EEZ. SEND AIRFORCE TO FLY OVER PINTAIL

The position of the Pacific Pintail at 1900 GMT was 9 degrees and 41 minutes South and 31 degrees and 53 minutes West, on a distance 200 miles east-south-east of the Brazilian city of Recife. The Pacific Pintail is currently sailing along the edge of the Brazilian 200 miles Exclusive Economic Zone, on a course of 202 degrees.

At 1600 GMT the Brazilian airforce flew closely over the Pacific Pintail numerous times and engaged the vessel in radio- communication. The Brazilian airforce asked the captain of the Pintail all navigational details necessary for Brazil to prevent the ship from entering its 200 mile zone. In addition the airforce inquired into the nature of the Pintail's cargo and the captain of the Pacific Pintail twice refused to answer saying, "We are on a normal sea-trade."

The Captain of Greenpeace's ship Solo then contacted the Brazilian Airforce and informed them of the Pintail's cargo. Subsequently Captain Ulf Birgander was thanked by the Brazilian Airforce for the job we have done thus far.

The full conversation follows. Also we took a photograph of the Pacific Pintail with the Brazilian Airforce plane overhead which we have sent to Greenpeace Communications.

Pacific Pintail with Brazilian military airplane overhead. ©Greenpeace/Sims

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)

TRANSCRIPT OF THE COMMUNICATION TODAY BETWEEN THE BRAZILIAN AIRFORCE AND THE NUCLEAR WASTE VESSEL PACIFIC PINTAIL. (PACIFIC PINTAIL=PP, BRAZILIAN AIRFORCE=BA)

TRANSCRIPT OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BRAZILIAN AIRFORCE AND GREENPEACE VESSEL SOLO.

INTRO: Greenpeace Captain Ulf Birgander made the usual security announcement that we broadcast every 4 hours, naming the Pintail, its cargo, its route and asking ships to give wide berth to the Pintail.

Start Transcript:

(BA) Solo, this is Brazilian Airforce, over;
(GP) Brazilian Airforce, this is Greenpeace vessel Solo, Good afternoon, over;
(BA) Channel 10, please
(BA on Ch.10) This is Brazilian Airforce, over
(GP) Good afternoon Brazilian Aircraft, this is Motor Vessel Solo, over;
(BA) Good afternoon, Brazilian Airforce patrol request, request, take care, take care [of] our friend, please;
(GP) Yes, we will certainly take care of your friend, we will follow her on a safe distance, and will inform all the countries and all vessels in vicinity of her highly dangerous cargo.
(BA) The Brazil thank you for your job;
(GP) Thank you very much;
(BA) Stand by Channel 16, over;.
(GP) Greenpeace vessel Solo back to channel 16.