"In the last 42 days, the seismic survey ship 'Amazon Warrior' has been
forced to stop 28 times according to reports from iwi marine mammal
observers onboard because the ship has come too close to whales,
dolphins or seals." said Climate Justice Taranaki spokesperson Emily
Bailey. "That's threatened or endangered species in harm's way almost
every day in OMV and Schlumberger's irresponsible pursuit of oil. On top
of this, sea level temperatures were up 6 degrees in the area this
summer, from fossil fueled climate change".

"Climate Justice Taranaki fully supports the actions of Greenpeace
protectors who locked on to the Amazon Warrior's support ship yesterday
in Port Taranaki. We have a proud history of civil disobedience by brave
people who are willing to stand up for what's right. Schlumberger and
OMV should be ashamed of their backward operations at a time when our
seas are dying and climate chaos has begun."

"New research has proven seismic blasting kills off zooplankton and
krill out to at least 1.2 kilometres from every hydrophone trailed
behind the survey ships. These tiny animals underpin whole ocean
productivity and are why the Southern Taranki Bight provides important
feeding and nursery grounds or migration corridors for some 36 cetacean
species including critically endangered Maui dolphins and endangered
Blue Whales. It is part of one of the two most biodiverse areas in the
world - and a hotspot for commercial and recreational fishers."

"Together with the Cook Strait, the South Taranaki Bight is also an
internationally recognised Important Bird Area, identified by Forest and
Bird. Research on our 'At risk-declining' Little Blue Penguin has shown
that some birds swam all the way from Marlborough to feed in the South
Taranaki Bight. A new study on the breeding endangered African Penguin
revealed a strong avoidance of their preferred foraging ground during
seismic blasting, affecting their reproductive success."

"The Iwi Chairs and Taranaki iwi and hapu came out in full against this
seismic survey along with thousands of New Zealanders who don't think
the destruction of our planet is worth the price of oil. Some Taranaki
iwi have also declared they want no more of this industry at all in
their rohe and are demanding complete removal of all infrastructure."

"While two other companies in the seismic industry have just gone
bankrupt, Schlumberger has now declared it's financially unviable to
continue seismic surveying but they are to complete their current
contracts. OMV nears the end of this survey, coming in close now to
Taranaki's coastal Marine Mammal Sanctuary. Todd Energy has contracted
the ship in mid February for Whanganui's coastline. It's time these
destructive companies pull out of their contracts and do the right thing
for the future of Taranaki and our planet."

Sources:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/uot--nrr062217.php
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/71327531/marlboroughs-amazing-little-blue-penguins
http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/important-bird-areas
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03014223.2017.1302970?journalCode=tnzz20
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-16569-x

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