Amazon-Warrior

Dr Russel Norman and two other Greenpeace protesters face charges after they threw themselves in the sea in front of an oil exploration ship, forcing it to stop its seismic blasting work. The group are being charged under a 2013 Amendment to the Crown Minerals Act, dubbed the "Anadarko Amendment", which was put in place to stop protests at sea around oil exploration. The law change makes it an offence to interfere with or get closer than within 500m of an offshore ship involved in oil exploration, with a potential fine of $10,000. In addition, interfering with the operations of such a ship is punishable by up to 12 months' jail time or a fine of up to $50,000. The protesters have been charged by New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals, a division of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11836423

Greenpeace says it has today intercepted the world's biggest seismic blasting ship, the Amazon Warrior, off the Wairarapa coast. The environmental group said its New Zealand executive director Russel Norman, on board Greenpeace vessel Taitu, had made a call through to the ship's master, demanding the ship stop seismic blasting and "informing them of the widespread opposition to oil drilling in NZ waters by local councils, iwi and large numbers of New Zealanders". "He also informs the Amazon Warrior that he and Taitu will act consistently with the principles of non-violence at all times but are there to take action to protect our common future." The 125-metre Amazon Warrior has been contracted by oil companies Statoil and Chevron to conduct seismic surveying. The protest comes days after Ngati Kahungunu-owned vessel Te Matau a Maui confronted the Amazon Warrior off the Hawke's Bay coast, following the Government releasing 49,630 sq km of the East Source NZ Herald

Greenpeace is tailing a seismic blasting ship off New Zealand's east coast, the organisation says. The Amazon Warrior is searching for oil for Statoil and Chevron. This morning a team, including Greenpeace members and local iwi, set out in two rigid-hulled inflatable boats to confront the ship about 20 nautical miles off the Wairarapa coast. Greenpeace said it had delivered a 60,000-strong petition against seismic blasting to the ship, in the form of an open letter read over radio. As the day progressed the crew would monitor the ship and its support vessels as they searched for oil, it said. That included taking underwater recordings of the seismic blasts, which the organisation said could deafen whales. The crews would also feed the data they collected through to scientists, to measure effects on marine life. Two survey companies responded earlier this week to suggestions their work could be linked to two recent whale strandings, with one saying it would be willing to fund a necropsy on any whale stranded near active operations. http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/322305/protesters-on-trail-of-seismic-blasting-ship