Greenpeace Sheffield hold city centre protest over deep sea mining

On April 24 and 25, volunteers from Greenpeace Sheffield Group took it to the streets to call for oceans to be off-limits to deep sea mining, as tests get underway in the Pacific Ocean.

Volunteers were seen marching with homemade banners that said “Deep Sea CRI-ME ING” and “Protect the Oceans” through Sheffield City Hall, the Winter Gardens, the Crubicle and the Cathedral.

The images, said the group, along with hundreds of others from across the country, will be sent directly to the Government to make it clear that “people across the UK do not support plans to rip up the ocean floor for profit.”

Anne, a volunteer from Walkley, said: “On Saturday, I joined volunteers from Greenpeace Sheffield Group to take photos with our banner reading 'DEEP SEA CR-IME ING' across the city centre.

“The deep sea might seem a world away from Sheffield, but in the year that the UK hosts the UN climate negotiations, we have a chance to prevent the needless destruction of our oceans.

"We’re sending a message to the UK Government that they need to take ocean protection seriously, and end their support for deep sea mining."

This nationwide banner protest is the latest step in their campaign to protect the oceans.

Greenpeace activists also recently held protests around the world.

In the Pacific Ocean they displayed a banner in front of a ship chartered by DeepGreen, one of the companies spearheading the drive to mine this precious ecosystem.

Volunteers simultaneously carried out a peaceful protest in San Diego, USA, targeting a ship chartered by Belgian company Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR).

Then on April 22, activists again targeted GSR as they conducted deep sea mining tests, writing risk in approximately 2-metre high letters across the side of the ship.

During these tests, Greenpeace documented large patches of sediment rising to the surface, indicating significant disturbance to the sea bed.

Deep sea mining would involve sending huge industrial machinery to the fragile ecosystems in the depths of the oceans.

The Government’s review into deep sea mining will conclude in July.

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