Shipping Companies Commit to Send Whale Meat Back to Sender

After Greenpeace Protest: Shipping Companies Committing Themselves to Send Whale Meat Back to Sender

German Environmental Minister Altmaier In Duty of Prohibit Transit of Whale Meat

Hamburg / Germany, 11th july 2013 – The renewed protests by greenpeace activists against the transit of whale meat via the harbour of Hamburg was successful: In the late evening the Taiwanese shipping company "Evergreen Line" announced to send the container with six fin whale meat back to Iceland. Few hours later, also the Icelandic shipping company "Samskip" promised in a public statement to stop  transporting whale meat in future. "Among the shipping companies Samskip has dominated being involved in the bloody business with the whale meat. This boycott is a clear signal to Iceland's whalers to finally stop the senseless hunting, "says Iris Menn, marine expert from Greenpeace Germany.

"Evergreen Line" handles the entire transport of the six containers and claims not have known that they were carrying whale meat as it was declared as "frozen fish". Only because of the protest of greenpeace-activists they get aware of the real container content (Please find the statement "Evergreen Line" here: http://bit.ly/12msGFT). Menn says: "We welcome the decision of Evergreen to send the whale meat back to send. Icelands whalehunter have to remember that trade with the world's endangered animals is worldwide unwanted. ". The "Evergreen Line" is going to transport the containers via the cargo ship "Ever Leading" on 11th july to the port Rotterdam.

From there, icelandic company "Samskip" has promised to arrange the return transportation to Iceland and to refrain from whale meat transports in future.  (Please find the statement of "Samskip" here: http://bit.ly/1aqHNTS) "The rapid response of the shipping companies on our protest clearly shows that nobody wants to have anything to do with whaling. Now german federal environment minister Peter Altmaier has finally to ensure that Germany will not longer support indirectly whaling neither the trade of whale meat. He has to drive for a long-term obligatory legal prohibition of transit of whale meat via Germany”, says Menn.

The whale meat, about the amount of ten fin whales, arrived on 5th July in the port of Hamburg, carried by the container vessel "Cosco Pride". Greenpeace activists in inflatable boats met the ship in the port with protest banner and informed the authorities. The Customs investigation services  had seized the container due to lack of documents and false declarations, on 9 July, however, released. Thereupon Greenpeace activists climbed the cargo ship named „Eilbek“ at Tollerort-Terminal in Hamburg as it was supposed to transport the  whale  meat via Rotterdam to Japan. Four activitsts tied themselves to the leashes which tie the cargo ship to the land. Immediately, the charter "Unifeeder" refused to transport the whale meat, and canceled the order.

Iceland rejects alongside Norway and Japan both the international ban on commercial whaling  (IWC) and international ban on trade of whale meat (CITES) . This season, Iceland whaler wants to kill 184 endangered fin whales. Since there is no demand for meat in the country itself, it is exported exclusively to Japan. There, still unsellable frozen meat from the last whaling season is still being stored.

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