Confronting MV Coco with Rail Banner

A Dutch court denied NORI’s request for an injunction to keep Greenpeace activists from being within a 500 metre radius of a specialised offshore drilling vessel mv COCO.

In the case brought by NORI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Metals Company (TMC), the judgement states that Greenpeace International’s climbers who were occupying the vessel’s stern crane must disembark, but denies NORI’s request to keep Greenpeace activists from being within a 500 metre radius of MV COCO.

The action took place in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) — an area between Mexico and Hawaii.

The court decision comes after nearly 200 hours of protest by Greenpeace International activists against the MV COCO.

NORI claims the protest has been costing it 1m euros a day.

The protest began approximately two weeks ago after five days of a non-stop kayak activity around the vessel.

Greenpeace said in a statement that activists aboard the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise took turns occupying the vessel’s stern crane to peacefully draw attention to the demand that TMC stop its deep sea mining exploration activities.

Greenpeace International activist Sofia Castellanos said: “We are standing up against the first ever deep sea mining application that TMC are trying to rush through against scientific warnings and political opposition of 24 countries calling for a moratorium. We will continue to protest every time TMC tries to push forward this dangerous industry, for the sake of our oceans and the rich and mysterious life of the deep sea.”