Two Greenpeace activists have been arrested while three others are still locked to the top of the mast of a New Zealand government-owned ship they say has been searching for oil off the North Island.
The five boarded the Tangaroa, a NIWA climate and ocean research ship, while it was docked in Wellington on Tuesday in protest of its alleged oil exploration on behalf of petroleum companies Statoil and Chevron.
Three people shackled themselves to the top of the Tangaroa's mast, while two others, who have since been arrested, secured themselves to its deck.
A banner has been unfurled from the mast reading Climb it Change.
Greenpeace campaigner Steve Abel said the ship was a symbol of the New Zealand government's obsession with oil.
"As John Key gets ready to head out to Paris for climate change talks, this taxpayer-funded science ship that should be doing vital environment work is trying to head out to survey our waters for the climate-wrecking oil industry," he said.
The vessel has recently been refitted with a $NZ24 million ($A21.75 million) upgrade to enhance its ocean science, oil and gas exploration and marine engineering capabilities.
In the NIWA 2014/15 annual report, the agency confirmed it works with oil and gas companies to survey waters around New Zealand for the continued development of the energy and minerals sectors.
It also detailed a $NZ1 million upgrade to help the vessel find gas reserves under the sea floor.
