Five arrested in GE sea drama

By PHILIP ENGLISH

A ship boarded by Greenpeace activists in the Hauraki Gulf yesterday berthed at the Port of Auckland last night to unload animal feed thought to contain at least some genetically engineered soya meal.

Police arrested the five activists who boarded the Federal Pescadores in a protest that began soon after 4 am with the launch of Greenpeace inflatables from the Rainbow Warrior II, berthed at Princes Wharf.

One activist attached herself to an anchor chain while four others scaled two of the ship's cranes to unveil an anti-genetic engineering banner high over the ship, stationary off Rangitoto Island.

The police arrived in the Deodar and another craft about 7 am and removed the activist from the anchor chain.

According to Greenpeace, the police, wearing no safety gear, attempted to remove the activists on the cranes until the last two decided to descend for their own safety as well as out of concern for the safety of the police.

A police spokesman said the police were not prepared to put themselves at risk and waited for the activists to get down after "they got all the media coverage they wanted, or the pictures anyway."

The five arrested activists were charged with unlawfully being on a ship and they appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday. They were remanded on bail until January 8.

Greenpeace campaigner Sarah Duthie said Greenpeace had previously tested soya meal imported by Jossco NZ, the importer of yesterday's load of feed, and found it to contain Monsanto Round-up Ready genetically engineered soy.

The meal is mainly used as chicken feed.

"Our concern is that consumers in New Zealand are overwhelmingly against animals being fed genetically engineered animal feed. Our particular concern is that by accepting this in the food chain we accept it in our environment."

She said Greenpeace wanted Jossco NZ to reject animal feed containing genetically engineered crops.

The country manager for Jossco NZ, Terry O'Connor, said it was widely known that United States soya bean products contained some genetically modified material.

He said ship cargoes like yesterday's were tested by the company for GE content, and the confidential results were passed on to end users.

"For the last probably 12 months or more we have been looking at alternative supplies of GE-free soya bean meal for our customers in New Zealand at their request."

Mr O'Connor said supplies from India and Brazil were being considered.

The cost of importing GE-free soya meal from Brazil would be about $50 a tonne more than the existing product.

"We have been as a company very proactive in exploring not only soya bean meal but other types of protein that are GE free.

"I personally feel we have been pretty responsible in this area."

The associate professor of nutrition and health at Massey University in Palmerston North, Brian Jordan, said many world authorities had pointed out that "at this moment" there was no risk to health and safety from genetically engineered food products.

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