Safa-Searcher

Three Greenpeace protesters who had been chained to the "Mermaid Searcher" in Port Taranaki have been removed and arrested on Jan 31, 2018. They had boarded the vessel in the early hours of the morning and locked themselves to a mast and railing in protest at the oil exploration ship "Amazon Warrior", which the tender supports and which has has been operating off the Taranaki coast for the past three months. The protestors have been issued with trespass notices. The port was concerned about the protesters safety and that of port staff and the police who had to deal with them. There was forecast bad weather approaching therefore disembarking them from the vessel quickly and safely was the focus. The police were also monitoring a small group of Greenpeace supporters on the Lee Breakwater at the port. Report with photo: https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/349325/greenpeace-protesters-chained-to-vessel