Second activist arrested from animal feed cargo ship

Greenpeace says the ship's cargo of palm kernel feed contributes to climate change. Photo / Greenpeace

Tauranga police have arrested two protestors as Greenpeace targets a ship moored off Tauranga.

Activists boarded the ship East Ambition this morning and chained themselves to the vessel, protesting over the import of palm kernel animal feed. They claim it is linked to the destruction of rainforests.

Tauranga Area Commander Inspector Mike Clement says police have removed and arrested two protestors. One was on the ladder of the ship and the other had been secured to the anchor chain.

Mr Clement says police believe there are 17 protestors in total, with 14 onboard the East Ambition and three supporting in an inflatable boat. He says it is a peaceful protest, but there are significant safety concerns for protestors and emergency personnel.

Police are still in discussions with Greenpeace.

Meanwhile Greenpeace is rejecting a claim from Fonterra the palm kernel at the centre of a protest is not theirs.

Fonterra says the East Ambition cargo ship is not carrying any of its palm kernel animal feed.

But Greenpeace spokesman Simon Boxer says Fonterra cannot deny its link to the shipment.

"They are driving this. They are directly doing shipments as well, with their own companies, but there are other suppliers involved in supplying Fonterra dairy farms.

"So they can't try and shirk their responsibility here. They are the ones directly implicated in that rainforest destruction in Indonesia and Malaysia."

Mr Boxer said the feed would end up on farmers that supply Fonterra with milk. He said most dairy farmers supply milk to Fonterra and it is on those farms that the palm kernel feed will be used.

"They [Fonterra] are trying to pull a fast one, they're really misleading people," Mr Boxer said.

He said Fonterra are driving the trade in palm kernel feed and it is Fonterra who can put an end to it.

The activists boarded the boat from Indonesia this morning, chaining themselves to the boat and its four cargo cranes off the coast of Tauranga.

They were preventing it unloading saying the shipment of palm kernel animal feed from Indonesia was destined for Fonterra dairy farms.