Greenpeace''s
anti-
whaling ship Esperanza sailed into Yokohama port yesterday in a
bid to provoke a debate in
Japan on the issue of
whaling, several days
after the vessel was prevented from docking in Tokyo.
The 23 Greenpeace crew
members aboard the Esperanza had hoped to bring their campaign to
Japan, where whaling is considered a cultural tradition, last Tuesday
before they were effectively barred from entering Tokyo port.
The ship moored
yesterday at Yokohama, south of the capital, and was awaiting the green
light to dock there, Greenpeace
officials said, although it was unclear
when that would be
Yokohama port officials were not immediately available for comment.
"We are extremely
happy to be coming into Japan and to have the opportunity to engage in
debate and dialogue about the issue of high-seas whaling," Greenpeace''s
Sara Holden said in a statement.
"We did not give up
hope that we would be able to get in, and we hope the fact that many
people were still prepared to help us sends a clear signal that
Greenpeace is welcome in Japan."
Last month Japan
abandoned its Antarctic whale-hunting season after fire crippled its
main whaling vessel and killed one crew member. Greenpeace offered to
take the ship in tow but the Japanese declined.
The environmental
group said its attempt to dock in Tokyo last week had been blocked by
the All Japan Seamen''s Union, which had pressured the ship''s agent to
withdraw services.
A spokesman for the seamen''s union denied that it had exerted any pressure to keep Greenpeace out.
He added, though: "Some of these activists seem a bit close to terrorism, so for this reason we don''t want them to enter."
The fire-damaged 8,000-tonne Nisshin Maru limped back into its home port last month with a haul of 508 whales.