Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Protest resumes against Raukumara Basin oil drilling

Updated at 12:22 pm on 3 October 2010

Bonfires burned since dawn on Sunday on beaches around the North Island's East Cape, as part of an ongoing campaign against offshore oil drilling.

Activists say the bonfires, from Opotiki to Gisborne, are a protest against the environmental damage the mining could cause to fish stocks.

In June, Brazilian energy giant Petrobras was awarded a permit to explore and drill in the Raukumara Basin, off East Cape.

Campaign spokesperson Ani Pahuru-Huriwai says the permit should not have been issued without assurances the company would not damage the environment.

Earlier this year the Government expressed confidence in the experience of Petrobras to make sure a Gulf of Mexico-style disaster does not occur.

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