Greenpeace expedition suffers ice blow

Press, 15 January 1986, Page 4

Greenpeace expedition suffers ice blow

NZPA-PA London Greenpeace's Antarctic expedition received a blow yesterday when ice forced the environmental group’s flagship to take evasive action. The ship Greenpeace is now North of Ross Island and Peter Wilkinson, the campaign co-ordinator on board, said: “This is a bitter

blow, and to be realistic it does not look as though we can consider reaching our destination in the next few days. “To steam all the way back to the north is a depressing option but one which we may have no alternative but to take.” Greenpeace’s mission is to establish a oase 1300 km from the South Pole and to

declare the whole of Antarctica “a world park,” whose minerals and fisheries cannot be exploited. The group argues that life-supporting systems there are so fragile that the continent could be ruined in 10 years by exploitation, after the protective Antarctic Treaty runs out in 1991. Earlier, Greenpeace said it planned to cany on sailing in the Antarctic, in spite of the sinking of Southern Quest.

Mr Wilkinson admitted that the sinking had “deeply shocked” Greenpeace’s 35member crew.

Yesterday, the ship Greenpeace encountered a barrier of ice around McMurdo Sound. It extended for virtually the entire length of Ross Island, leaving only the northern tip exposed.

Greenpeace was forced to turn north to escape a procession of “growlers” and large chunks of fast ice breaking away from the ice field.

The ship plans to stay 50km or so to the north for a while hoping for an improvement in conditions.