Arctic Ocean, 18 August 1997
In a blatant violation of international law tonight, the US Coast Guard
attempted to stop the Greenpeace Ship, Arctic Sunrise in international
waters.
As ARCO's concrete island drilling system settled into Camden Bay, despite
legal Greenpeace protests, the Arctic Sunrise left the area. After the ship
was well into international waters, a US Coast Guard helicopter flew out
and repeatedly ordered them to heave to for boarding.
Even after being informed that the vessel was in international waters, the
Coast Guard responded: "I am still ordering you to heave-to, skipper. Uhmm,
your choice, I am ordering you to heave-to, uh, for documented violations
of federal laws and treaties of the United States, and uh, it is your
choice obviously, there are coast guard vessels out to board you."
"This is an extraordinary breach of international law, which provides
absolute protection of the navigation of vessels in international waters,"
said Greenpeace international attorney Duncan Currie.
The events on the High Seas ended a day of high drama where Greenpeace
performed a citizens arrest on ARCO's oil rig manager for violation of us
law, declared an environmental protection zone, and witnessed numerous
marine mammals including polar bears fleeing from the three tugs towing the
drilling platform.
"ARCO, the federal agencies and the Coast Guard have clearly demonstrated
that they will stop at nothing to prevent Greenpeace's campaign to protect
the environment from the abuses of the oil industry," said Steve Sawyer, on
board the Arctic Sunrise, "But Greenpeace will continue its protest against
oil exploration because we cannot afford to burn even a quarter of the
known fossil fuel reserves, it is foolhardy and irresponsible of the oil
industry to continue searching for more."
"The oil industry obviously have the authorities at their beck and call -
even to the extent of getting the coast guard to abuse its powers in
international waters. It is time the oil industry was brought under
control," Sawyer added.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steve Sawyer, on board the Arctic Sunrise + 872 130 2577
Paul Horsman, in Anchorage, +1 907 277 8234; +1 907 440 3708
Kalee Kreider, in Washington DC, +1 202 319 2523; +1 202 236 2579
Attached - extracts from a transcript of the exchange between US Coast
Guard helicopter 6523 and the mv Arctic Sunrise captain, Arne Sorensen. The
complete transcript is available.
Transcript, VHF communications, 18 August
CG = Coast Guard helicopter 6523
AS = Captain Arne Sorensen, Greenpeace Motor Vessel Arctic Sunrise
CG: motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, this is Coast
Guard helicopter, Coast Guard helicopter 16.
CG: Motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, this is Coast
Guard helicopter overhead your position 70 30 north, 144 35 west, on a
heading of 335, 10 knots, red vessel, with white superstructure, with Coast
Guard helicopter overhead, on channel 16. You are ordered to heave to, stop
your vessel, (AS call sign? "sea-ray, kay- beck, bee-so-too"??) to await
Coast Guard, US Coast Guard boarding, and other federal agent boarding, for
violation of US laws and treaties. I have you over, uh, underneath me at
this time, positive identification, I am ordering you to heave to, stop
your vessel, in your current position, immediately skipper. Coast Guard
helicopter standing by, channel one-six.
CG: Motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, Coast Guard
helicopter overhead circling, you are ordered to heave to, heave to, stop
your vessel, `sea-ray, kay- beck, bee-so-too, sea-ray, kay beck,
bee-so-too,' heave to, skipper, for US Coast Guard and other federal agents
boarding for violation of US laws and treaties, Coast Guard helicopter
circling overhead, to the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise, Greenpeace
vessel Arctic Sunrise, you are ordered to heave to.
AS: Coast Guard helicopter, this is the Arctic Sunrise on channel 122.9
CG: Arctic Sunrise, Coast Guard helicopter on channel 122.9
AS: Yeah, good evening, what's your business here, over.
CG: Motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, Coast Guard helicopter. I am ordering you
to heave to, for Coast Guard and other federal agents boarding for
violation of US laws of treaties, you are ordered to stop your vessel at
this time,
AS: Coast Guard helicopter, this is the Arctic Sunrise, sorry to inform you
that this is a Dutch-registered vessel operating in international waters,
and you have no authority to stop me in this area, over.
CG:: Motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, Coast Guard helicopter. I am still
ordering you to stop for violation of US laws and treaties, you are ordered
to stop at this time, on uh, for violation of US laws and treaties.
AS: Right-oh, yes, understood, but I'm sorry, I am not going to stop my
vessel. You have no authority to stop me in international waters.
CG: Motor vessel Arctic Sunrise, Coast Guard helicopter six-five-two-three,
and I am still ordering you to heave to, skipper. Um, your choice, I am
ordering you to heave to, uh, for documented violations of federal laws and
treaties of the United States, and uh, it is your choice, obviously, there
are Coast Guard vessels that are out to board you, I am ordering you to
heave to, and we have documented proof, or documented, uh evidence, of
violation of US laws and treaties.
AS: I can only repeat what I've just said, that you have no authority to
stop me in international waters.
Andrew Hund
http://cwolf.uaa.alaska.edu/~asajh/AKD/
http://cwolf.uaa.alaska.edu/~asajh/Soc/