Greenpeace vessel is not allowed to sail within NSR water area – RF Transport Ministry
Motor yacht Arctic Sunrise of the international environmental organization Greenpeace was not allowed to enter the Northern Sea Route due to void classification certificate and improperly executed documents. As IAA PortNews learnt from the state policy department of RF Transport Ministry, the first denial was caused by the classification certificate the validity of which had expired as early as on December 22, 2011.
The second denial was reasoned by the lack of information about the vessel’s ice category. Besides, the power of the yacht (1,619 kWt) does not correspond to the power of arctic icebreakers which should not be below 11,000 kWt according to the rules of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
For the third time, the yacht failed to obtain a permit because the application submitted to the Administration of the Northern Sea Route did not contain the necessary information.
The Ministry of Transport says the information about the yacht’s attempts to illegally enter the Northern Sea Route water area was forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. It is supposed to be later provided to the authorities of the Netherlands (flag state of Arctic Sunrise).
As it was reported earlier, Russian border guards inspected Greenpeace yacht which had entered NSR regardless of the denial. Greenpeace vessel attempted to reach the area of geophysical operations in the Arctic.
