The Esperanza intercepted and boarded the cargo vessel Golden Lion carrying 32,000 tonnes of Argentine transgenic soya off Portugal as it made for the French western port of Lorient, Greenpeace said in a joint statement with the French farmers' association.

No details were immediately available about what had happened aboard the Golden Lion or whether it was continuing on course.

Among those aboard the Esperanza was French militant farmers' union leader Jose Bove.

"By our opposition to imports of genetically modified products from Argentina we are saying no to Europe becoming dependent on others for proteins, and we demand a new European Union common agriculture policy," Bove was quoted in the statement as saying.

The protesters also rejected the "subjection of farmers to patents on seeds imposed by the multinationals."

The groups associated with the protest, including France's Faucheurs volontaires d'OGM (Independent Genetically Modified Crops Reapers) also reject EU labelling regulations, saying these do not "guarantee total transparency in the use of genetically modified organisms."

The Golden Lion was scheduled to dock at Lorient late Thursday. The protest groups have called for demonstrations in the port Friday.

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