Police monitor oil protestors

Police say oil exploration protests off the East Cape are quiet, as they continue to keep an eye on protesters.

For the past two weeks Greenpeace, local iwi and others have been protesting off the East Cape where a Brazilian company Petrobras's survey ship, Orient Explorer, is doing seismic surveys of the Raukumara Basin, looking for oil under a five-year licence issued by the Government.

A police spokesman said three ships were protesting off the East Cape today and they were continuing to monitor the situation to ensure the safety of both the protesters and the survey ship.

He said they were communicating with both parties and there had been no threat to safety.

Police are in the area aboard the inshore patrol vessel HMNZS Taupo after protesters swam in front of the Orient Explorer on April 10, forcing it to divert it from its survey line. Protest boats were then warned to keep at least 200m away from the ship.

- NZPA