27/11/2007 (Independent Online), Helsinki - Thirty-three members of the environmental group Greenpeace were arrested before being released in Finland after trying to block the unloading of a palm oil shipment, the group said on Monday.

"All of them have been released," said Greenpeace Finland spokesperson Satu Pitkanen of the protesters, from Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden, who were arrested on Sunday.

"Police say investigations go on but no charges have been pressed at this stage," Pitkanen added.

Greenpeace members previously said they had planned to "contact" the ship carrying the palm oil to say they were against the cargo, but were arrested at sea before they had a chance to get close.

The Suula, which had set off from Rotterdam in the Netherlands, was carrying 10 000 tons of palm oil, according to the group.

Greenpeace says rapidly expanding palm oil plantations, seen as a green alternative to fossil fuels, are in fact destroying many forests and peat lands across Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia, with potentially disastrous effects on the environment.

The oil is used in making biofuels, but also in margarine, lipstick, ice-cream, shampoo and chocolate bars.

Earlier this month, the Greenpeace boat Rainbow Warrior tried to stop a ship from leaving Indonesia with its palm oil cargo, and on Friday protesters tried to stop another shipment of the oil from reaching Rotterdam.