A 60,000-TON ship carrying genetically modified soya was stopped yesterday by Greenpeace activists protesting at the legal import of GM crops into Britain. update

Greenpeace activists use an inflatable boat to stop the Iolcos Grace

Environmentalists boarded the bulk carrier Iolcos Grace off the coast of Anglesey, North Wales, at 7.40am as it was on its way to a soya mill in Liverpool operated by the American firm Cargill. Six activists attached themselves to the anchor mechanism, preventing it from moving, while the organisation tried to persuade Cargill to return the cargo to America.

Cargill Europe confirmed that the ship contained GM and non-GM soya and that its main use was in feeding livestock for human consumption. From a boat alongside the bulk carrier, Sarah North, 30, a Greenpeace activist from London, said the protesters had intercepted the Iolcos Grace using an inflatable boat.

"As soon as they got on board, they asked if they could take cargo samples. But the skipper gave orders to lock all the holds so the samples couldn't be taken. It is a very civil situation but at the moment there is a stand-off going on."

Greenpeace said an agreement of the Biosafety Protocol in Montreal last month meant that governments could now refuse to accept imports of GM crops on the basis of the "precautionary principle". It wants to end GM imports because of the uncertainties over the effects on human health and the environment.

The protest came on the eve of a major OECD conference in Edinburgh aimed at tying down the adverse health effects of GM foods, which gets under way tomorrow. Jim Thomas, a Greenpeace campaigner, said: "This ship is carrying a cargo that nobody wants and most people would like to see sent home.

"There's no demand for GM crops and it's pointless bringing in thousands of tons of stuff only to contaminate the food chain. Cargill have already proven that they can get GM-free soya and could easily shift the balance towards a GM-free Britain."

Greenpeace said several supermarket chains were already rejecting animal products fed on GM crops. Iceland will be selling only GM-free animal products from Sept 1 and Tesco intends to remove GM animal feed from its products. This week the French-based Carrefour chain, the second largest in the world, said it was excluding GM animal feed from its products.

Geraldine O'Shea, a spokesman for Cargill Europe, said: "We are supplying GM and non-GM soya because that is what our customers want. This soya has been legally approved for import since 1996 and thoroughly tested for safety. We're not sending it back. We're talking to Greenpeace and we're hoping for a peaceful outcome."

###

© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2000

UPDATE

British Holds Greenpeace Protesters

Saturday, Feb. 26, 2000 8:59 AM EST

LONDON –– Five Greenpeace activists who boarded a ship in an effort to prevent it from unloading genetically modified soybeans were arrested early Saturday.

North Wales police said they arrested three men and two women who had boarded the bulk carrier Iolcos Grace off the north coast of Wales Friday morning.

Geraldine O'Shea, a spokeswoman for Cargill U.K., confirmed the cargo contained a mixture of conventional and genetically modified soybeans from the United States.

"Obviously we are disappointed that this action has ended, but our campaign against (genetically modified foods) will continue," said Greenpeace spokesman Charles Kronick.