A GREENPEACE sea captain living in “remarkably beautiful” Aberystwyth has told the Cambrian News of his experiences being shot at by Chinese and Russian fishermen, and almost losing a crew member while confronting ‘monster boats’ on the high seas.

Cpt Mike Fincken, who grew up in a small village near Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, moved to Aberystwyth following the birth of his five-year-old son Gwynfi, who lives in Cwmystwyth with his mum and goes to school in Felinfach.

“We met on one of the Greenpeace boats — my son’s grandfather was actually a Greenpeace activist — and we had a relationship,” explained Mike, who has worked for Greenpeace for 21 years.

“The sea life doesn’t really do well for relationships and we aren’t together anymore.

“I love it in Aber. The community is large enough to have your own space but small enough to realise people when you recognise them.

“Everyone seems to have the time of day to chat — sometimes for too long. And also, the area is remarkably beautiful.”

Growing up in apartheid South Africa, Mike said he was politicised at a fairly young age, although it wasn’t until later that he considered working for Greenpeace.

“I went to sea at 18 and worked in commercial shipping until I was 28,” he said. “When I was old enough I went into the merchant navy to get out of military conscription really.

“I was very against apartheid and war, and while I was working in commercial shipping, I was living in Cape Town and got into organic gardening, which opened my awareness to environmental damage.

“When South Africa became a democracy, the requirement that I serve 13 years in the merchant navy ended and I was therefore exempt from conscription, which is when I joined Greenpeace.”

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