Action against Incinerator Ship Vulcanus II in North Sea

Greenpeace protests against the ocean incineration vessel Vulcanus II for burning of toxic waste in the North Sea. Activists attempt to board the incinerator vessel, but high powered water jets prevent this action. Two crew members from Moby Dick were met with violence when they attempted to board the Vulcanus II in the north sea, 160 kilometres off Scarborough. One of them was struck with a pair of wire-cutters and the other was blasted into the sea by water canons. The canon also damaged the bridge of the Moby Dick, destroying electrical and radar equipment. In August 1987, Greenpeace launched an eight-week action campaign against ocean incineration, the burning of hazardous waste, particularly highly toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in furnaces aboard ships at sea. Greenpeace has been campaigning on the issue for five years now in both Europe and the US, presenting national and international governments with extensive scientific and technical evidence that calls into question the desirability, efficiency and environmental acceptability of waste incineration at sea.