Peaceful Protest against Seismic Testing in the Ionian Sea (Greece) - Video

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02/23/2022

The Greek oil company Hellenic Petroleum (HELPE) has been conducting seismic testing over the past weeks in the Ionian Sea in Greece. After conducting seismic testing without any public announcement for 3 weeks in Kyparissiakos Bay, a very sensitive ecosystem and a protected area, the company has moved on to do testing on another block in the Ionian Sea further north west of Corfu, again not informing anyone about their plans. What is worse, over the past few days there have been strandings of cetaceans in beaches in the island of Corfu. No cetacean has died yet but the situation is being monitored and more beaches are being scanned for strandings. The international, European and national law and agreements, such as ACCOBAMS, clearly state that blasting must stop in case of cetacean stranding. With our ship, the Rainbow Warrior, we came back to the Ionian Sea in order to peacefully protest against HELPE’s decision to continue conducting seismic testing in such a fragile environment. HELPE’s plans endanger biodiversity, climate and our livelihoods. We want the company to stop the blasting. The company and the Greek government must immediately cancel all oil and gas exploration contracts and announce an urgent fossil fuel phase out in line with the Paris Agreement. Any plans for testing and drilling must be put to a stop immediately, here in the Ionian Sea but all over Greece too, since one of the most crucial ways to escape the worst consequences of the climate crisis is by protecting our biodiversity.

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