LONDON, Thursday July 20 -- The MV Greenpeace will sail next Monday (July 24) from Barcelona to join the Rainbow Warrior, Vega and an international peace flotilla at the Moruroa nuclear test site in the South Pacific, Greenpeace announced today.
In an escalation of pressure on France's President Chirac to reverse his decision to resume nuclear testing in September, the MV Greenpeace will join other vessels at Moruroa in late August.
Greenpeace's Xavier Pastor, on board the MV Greenpeace, said the ship's 20,000 kilometre voyage symbolised the opposition of millions of Europeans uniting with protestors in the Pacific region against nuclear testing.
"We challenge European governments to listen to the anger of their people and to oppose France's resumption of testing with the same determination, urgency and commitment as Greenpeace," Pastor said. "International condemnation of France's decision must increase over the next few weeks if President Chirac is to see sense and abandon the testing programme."
Speaking from the SV Rainbow Warrior en route to Fiji, Greenpeace's Stephanie Mills said Greenpeace's presence at Moruroa -- currently the yacht Vega, the Danish vessel Bifrost, and an inflatable hidden in the vicinity of the test site -- would be dramatically increased by the end of August.
"We appeal again to the international community to join us in yachts and boats outside the test site, to show President Chirac the strength of opposition to nuclear testing," she said. "The crew of the Rainbow Warrior are committed to return to Moruroa, not alone but with an international flotilla of protest."
The MV Greenpeace will travel via the Panama Canal and its transit
to Moruroa is expected to take 40-50 days. The ship will provide
support to the Rainbow Warrior and a fleet of vessels sailing from
New Zealand, Australia and other parts of the world.
ENDS
Contact: Blair Palese, Greenpeace Communications, +44 171 833 0600 Stephanie Mills on board the SV Rainbow Warrior +872 1300312
Crew list to follow:
MV Greenpeace Crew List
(List of crew from Spain to Panama only, some changes may be made)
1. Peter Schwarz Captain Switzerland
2. Peter Sandison 1st Mate United Kingdom
3. Harriet Bakhuizen 2nd Mate Netherlands
4. Mike Zulu Ch. Engineer Germany
5. Albert Ubels 2nd Engineer Netherlands
6. Bob James 3rd Engineer United Kingdom
7. Faik Cimen Asst. Engineer Turkey
8. Jody Lusk Cook New Zealand
9. Isabel Leal Asst. Cook Spain
10. Thom Briggs Bosun American
11. Liz Blake Deck Hand/Nurse United Kingdom
12. Susie Foreman Deck Hand Ireland
13. Anita Johansen Deck Hand Norway
14. Sake Bosma Outboards Netherlands