Latest news with #GreenpeaceGreenpeaceAotearoa
Scoop
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Greenpeace Holds Dawn Commemoration Of 40 Years Since Rainbow Warrior Bombing, Death Of Photographer Fernando Pereira
Press Release – Greenpeace Greenpeace Aotearoa says today is a moment to reflect on the past, and remember the life of Fernando Pereira, the photographer who was killed in the bombing. Greenpeace Aotearoa held a dawn ceremony on board the Rainbow Warrior this morning to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior and the death of photographer Fernando Pereira. The ceremony was hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and attended by over a 150 people. Greenpeace Aotearoa Executive Director Dr Russel Norman, speaking from the deck of the Rainbow Warrior says, 'French government agents came from the other side of the planet not only to kill our friend and colleague, and to kill our ship, but most of all they came here to try to kill our dream of a nuclear free Pacific. 'And it is true that they killed Fernando, and it is true that they sank the first Rainbow Warrior, now resting in the north of Aotearoa under the watchful eye of Ngāti Kura at Matauri Bay. 'But it is not true that they killed our dream of a nuclear-free Pacific. In fact, their act of violence was a catalyst for the further growth of the nuclear-free movement here and around the world.' At the time of the bombing in 1985, the Rainbow Warrior was preparing to lead a flotilla to Mororoa to protest French nuclear testing. Greenpeace International Programme Director Carmen Gravitt, also speaking from the Rainbow Warrior, said, 'The French government tried to silence these voices with violence, fear, and intimidation. But they miscalculated. Instead of breaking our movement, they amplified it. They blew wind into our sails.' 'We built a new Rainbow Warrior and sailed to Moruroa. The peoples of the Pacific rose. And the world joined them. Together, we did not stop – not until we won and France halted its nuclear testing. 'Every right we have today was won by people who dared to fight for it. People who demanded the vote even when it was dangerous, workers who demanded dignity even when it cost them everything, indigenous peoples and frontline communities who demanded justice even when no one thought they could win. Today, we also honour them. And humbly seek to carry their legacy forward.' In the wake of the bombing of the first Rainbow Warrior, protests and international pressure against nuclear weapons testing continued to build. Greenpeace mounted three further protest expeditions to Mururoa in 1990, 1992 and 1995 on board the second Rainbow Warrior. In 1995, the Rainbow Warrior sailed into the test zone, defying exclusion orders and attempting to disrupt the tests, drawing global media attention and support. French forces seized the ship and arrested the crew, sparking widespread international condemnation. Although six tests went ahead, the intense backlash contributed to France announcing a permanent end to nuclear testing in 1996. Greenpeace Aotearoa says today is a moment to reflect on the past, and remember the life of Fernando Pereira, the photographer who was killed in the bombing. But the organisation also says it is a moment to look to the future and to challenge current attacks on environmental protest. 'There's no doubt that we're facing challenging times. Nature is under attack. Peace and democracy are under attack too. The world feels more unstable than ever,' says Norman. 'But when the environment and democracy are threatened, we all have to step up and get braver. The bravery of the nuclear-free activists – who sailed into a test zone and put themselves at enormous risk – is an inspiration for the courage we need to find now in the face of the climate and biodiversity crisis.'
Scoop
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Greenpeace Activists Disrupt Industrial Fishing Operation Ahead Of UN Ocean Conference
Press Release – Greenpeace GreenpeaceAotearoa is calling on the New Zealand Government to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and help create global ocean sanctuaries, including in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand signed the agreement in 2023. PACIFIC OCEAN, Friday, 6 June 2025 – Greenpeace activists have disrupted an industrial longlining fishing operation in the South Pacific Ocean, seizing almost 20 kilometers of fishing gear and freeing nine sharks, including an endangered mako, near Australia and New Zealand. WATCH: PHOTO AND VIDEO HERE With an expert team on a small boat releasing more than a dozen animals, crew aboard Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior retrieved the entire longline and more than 210 baited hooks from a EU-flagged industrial fishing vessel, including an endangered longfin mako shark, eight near-threatened blue sharks and four swordfish. The crew also documented the vessel catching endangered sharks during its longlining operation. The at-sea action follows new Greenpeace Australia Pacific analysis exposing the extent of shark catch from industrial longlining in parts of the Pacific Ocean. Latest fisheries data showed that almost 70% of EU vessels' catch was blue shark in 2023 alone. It comes ahead of next week's UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, where world leaders will discuss ocean protection and the Global Ocean Treaty. Georgia Whitaker, Senior Campaigner, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: 'These longliners are industrial killing machines. Greenpeace Australia Pacific took peaceful and direct action to disrupt this attack on marine life. We saved important species that would otherwise have been killed or left to die on hooks.' 'The scale of industrial fishing – still legal on the high seas – is astronomical. These vessels claim to be targeting swordfish or tuna, but we witnessed shark after shark being hauled up by these industrial fleets, including three endangered sharks in just half an hour. Greenpeace is calling on world leaders at the UN Ocean Conference to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030 from this wanton destruction.' GreenpeaceAotearoa is calling on the New Zealand Government to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and help create global ocean sanctuaries, including in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand signed the agreement in 2023. More than two-thirds of sharks worldwide are endangered, and a third of those are at risk of extinction from overfishing. Over the last three weeks, the Rainbow Warrior has been documenting longlining vessels and practices off Australia's east coast, including from Spain and China. 3. int/node/22532
Scoop
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Greenpeace Activists Disrupt Industrial Fishing Operation Ahead Of UN Ocean Conference
Press Release – Greenpeace GreenpeaceAotearoa is calling on the New Zealand Government to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and help create global ocean sanctuaries, including in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand signed the agreement in 2023. PACIFIC OCEAN, Friday, 6 June 2025 – Greenpeace activists have disrupted an industrial longlining fishing operation in the South Pacific Ocean, seizing almost 20 kilometers of fishing gear and freeing nine sharks, including an endangered mako, near Australia and New Zealand. With an expert team on a small boat releasing more than a dozen animals, crew aboard Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior retrieved the entire longline and more than 210 baited hooks from a EU-flagged industrial fishing vessel, including an endangered longfin mako shark, eight near-threatened blue sharks and four swordfish. The crew also documented the vessel catching endangered sharks during its longlining operation. The at-sea action follows new Greenpeace Australia Pacific analysis exposing the extent of shark catch from industrial longlining in parts of the Pacific Ocean. Latest fisheries data showed that almost 70% of EU vessels' catch was blue shark in 2023 alone. It comes ahead of next week's UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, where world leaders will discuss ocean protection and the Global Ocean Treaty. Georgia Whitaker, Senior Campaigner, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: 'These longliners are industrial killing machines. Greenpeace Australia Pacific took peaceful and direct action to disrupt this attack on marine life. We saved important species that would otherwise have been killed or left to die on hooks.' 'The scale of industrial fishing – still legal on the high seas – is astronomical. These vessels claim to be targeting swordfish or tuna, but we witnessed shark after shark being hauled up by these industrial fleets, including three endangered sharks in just half an hour. Greenpeace is calling on world leaders at the UN Ocean Conference to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030 from this wanton destruction.' GreenpeaceAotearoa is calling on the New Zealand Government to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and help create global ocean sanctuaries, including in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand signed the agreement in 2023. More than two-thirds of sharks worldwide are endangered, and a third of those are at risk of extinction from overfishing. Over the last three weeks, the Rainbow Warrior has been documenting longlining vessels and practices off Australia's east coast, including from Spain and China. 3. int/node/22532
Scoop
13-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Attenborough's Ocean Highlights Horrors Of Bottom Trawling
Opinion – Greenpeace Greenpeace Aotearoa and allies have been campaigning for decades to restrict this damaging fishing practice from where it does the most harm, but has faced continuous pushback from the NZ industry and a lack of ambition from successive governments. Greenpeace is welcoming the release of David Attenborough's latest documentary Ocean, which shines a spotlight on the scale of bottom trawling destruction, and issues an urgent message to turn the tide. The veteran broadcaster's latest documentary turns its attention to the brutal realities of industrial fishing, and the damage it's doing to the global oceans. With never before seen footage of trawling across the seabed, Attenborough attests: 'The idea of bulldozing a rainforest causes outrage, yet we do the same underwater every day. 'Surely you would argue it must be illegal.' Greenpeace Aotearoa and allies have been campaigning for decades to restrict this damaging fishing practice from where it does the most harm, but has faced continuous pushback from the NZ industry and a lack of ambition from successive governments. In the high seas of the South Pacific, New Zealand is the last country to be bottom trawling, and has blocked protections for vulnerable habitats from this method. Oceans campaigner Ellie Hooper says the writing is on the wall when it comes to bottom trawling, with the majority of New Zealanders supporting the method being banned on seamounts and similar features. 'Despite the NZ fishing industry's desperate attempts to greenwash itself and claim their activities are sustainable, there is no such thing as sustainable bottom trawling, especially when it happens on sensitive habitats. 'Bottom trawling is destructive by nature. Dragging heavy nets across the seabed destroys coral and sponge habitats on seamount areas, and releases carbon stored in the seabed. It has huge biodiversity and climate impacts. This destructive method also catches and kills huge numbers of non-target species, with anything from dolphins, fur seals and seabirds becoming collateral damage.' A government report released in 2023 showed that 99% of coral bycatch was attributed to bottom trawling methods over a thirteen year period – 200 tonnes of it having been observed coming up in nets. 'This is only the tip of the iceberg,' says Hooper, 'given that most of the coral destroyed by trawlers does not come up in the net.' 'Many fish stocks in New Zealand are also data deficient, meaning we actually don't know how they're doing. Signs from some orange roughy populations that have been assessed in recent years do not paint a good picture. They're showing signs of decline, and breeding groups of fish have disappeared from where they once were.' The place where they were deemed to be doing better was on a seamount that has been closed to bottom trawling for years. 'In the middle of an ocean and biodiversity crisis, bottom trawling is too destructive to continue. The industry can try to split the issue any way they want – but the writing is on the wall. And the footage from this documentary really says it all.' At the end of Ocean, Attenborough encourages world leaders to propose global ocean sanctuaries at the UN Ocean Conference in June. These sanctuaries, made possible under the hard-won Global Ocean Treaty, would be a critical part of protecting the world's oceans, including in the Tasman Sea.
Scoop
13-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Attenborough's Ocean Highlights Horrors Of Bottom Trawling
Opinion – Greenpeace Greenpeace Aotearoa and allies have been campaigning for decades to restrict this damaging fishing practice from where it does the most harm, but has faced continuous pushback from the NZ industry and a lack of ambition from successive governments. Greenpeace is welcoming the release of David Attenborough's latest documentary Ocean, which shines a spotlight on the scale of bottom trawling destruction, and issues an urgent message to turn the tide. The veteran broadcaster's latest documentary turns its attention to the brutal realities of industrial fishing, and the damage it's doing to the global oceans. With never before seen footage of trawling across the seabed, Attenborough attests: 'The idea of bulldozing a rainforest causes outrage, yet we do the same underwater every day. 'Surely you would argue it must be illegal.' Greenpeace Aotearoa and allies have been campaigning for decades to restrict this damaging fishing practice from where it does the most harm, but has faced continuous pushback from the NZ industry and a lack of ambition from successive governments. In the high seas of the South Pacific, New Zealand is the last country to be bottom trawling, and has blocked protections for vulnerable habitats from this method. Oceans campaigner Ellie Hooper says the writing is on the wall when it comes to bottom trawling, with the majority of New Zealanders supporting the method being banned on seamounts and similar features. 'Despite the NZ fishing industry's desperate attempts to greenwash itself and claim their activities are sustainable, there is no such thing as sustainable bottom trawling, especially when it happens on sensitive habitats. 'Bottom trawling is destructive by nature. Dragging heavy nets across the seabed destroys coral and sponge habitats on seamount areas, and releases carbon stored in the seabed. It has huge biodiversity and climate impacts. This destructive method also catches and kills huge numbers of non-target species, with anything from dolphins, fur seals and seabirds becoming collateral damage.' A government report released in 2023 showed that 99% of coral bycatch was attributed to bottom trawling methods over a thirteen year period – 200 tonnes of it having been observed coming up in nets. 'This is only the tip of the iceberg,' says Hooper, 'given that most of the coral destroyed by trawlers does not come up in the net.' 'Many fish stocks in New Zealand are also data deficient, meaning we actually don't know how they're doing. Signs from some orange roughy populations that have been assessed in recent years do not paint a good picture. They're showing signs of decline, and breeding groups of fish have disappeared from where they once were.' The place where they were deemed to be doing better was on a seamount that has been closed to bottom trawling for years. 'In the middle of an ocean and biodiversity crisis, bottom trawling is too destructive to continue. The industry can try to split the issue any way they want – but the writing is on the wall. And the footage from this documentary really says it all.' At the end of Ocean, Attenborough encourages world leaders to propose global ocean sanctuaries at the UN Ocean Conference in June. These sanctuaries, made possible under the hard-won Global Ocean Treaty, would be a critical part of protecting the world's oceans, including in the Tasman Sea.
