Taiwan police arrested a Greenpeace member Monday as the environmental organization launched its first ever protest on the island, trying to stop a tuna carrier from leaving port, the group said.
Tipsuda Atichakaro, a Thai citizen, climbed onto an anchor cable dangling from the Lung Yuin, a refrigerated tuna transporter, shortly before it was to leave the city of Kaohsiung in Taiwan’s south, according to Greenpeace.
She took turns with another activist chaining herself to the cable, sparking a three-hour standoff with police which ended when officers arrested her on charges of endangering public safety. The other protester was not detained.
“She will be transferred to prosecutors,†said an officer with the Kaohsiung harbor police.
The Lung Yuin, a 3,431-ton vessel that is Taiwanese owned but registered in Vanuatu and used to store and transport tuna catch, has “a history of involvement in illegal fishing operations,†Greenpeace said in a statement.
“Reefers like the Lung Yuin facilitate the large-scale tuna plunder of the Pacific region,†said Kao Yu-fen, a Greenpeace East Asia Oceans campaigner.
“It should not be allowed to use Taiwanese ports unless it can at least comply to simple requirements that it register its operations with Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency.â€
It demanded Taiwanese authorities immediately investigate what it referred to as the vessel’s “illegal practicesâ€.
Shipowner Wang Shung-lung denied the accusations, saying the vessel was registered with international bodies such as the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, which manages the tuna resources in the Eastern Pacific region.
“We also reported to Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency in advance of the scheduled journey to Fiji this time,†he told AFP.
Wang, whose family operates the ship along with 12 other tuna fishing vessels, was unhappy with the methods chosen by the Greenpeace activists.
“I respect their appeal calling for preserving marine reserves. Would that be good to me if the fish resources became depleted?†He said.
“But they shouldn’t take such irrational action. It isn’t helpful for their cause at all.â€
Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency echoed Wang’s argument, saying Lung Yuin had not broken the island’s law as claimed by Greenpeace.
The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior is currently in Taiwan on a tour of East Asia. It is campaigning for the protection of oceans and an end to the depletion of marine species such as tuna.
