Authorities in New Zealand face a race against time to avoid a major ecological disaster in the Bay of Plenty, a top tourist area.
A leaking container ship carrying 1,700 tonnes of oil is stranded 12 miles off shore after hitting a reef last week. The Liberian-flagged MV Rena has already leaked 20-30 tonnes of oil since last Wednesday, leading to a 3-mile slick.
Salvage teams are working to extract the oil from the stranded vessel ahead of forecast gale-force winds and swells. A barge has been deployed to start pumping fuel off the stricken vessel in an operation expected to last two days.
New Zealand’s oil spill response agency Maritime New Zealand MNZ has established a one-kilometre maritime exclusion zone around the ship and warned that the fuel oil is toxic.
It said: “The weather is expected to deteriorate in the coming days, so we are working around the clock to remove the oil. The top priority is to first remove the oil, then lighten the vessel by removing the containers, and finally, move the ship off the reef.”
Greek ship owner Costamare has not given an explanation for the grounding, but said it was “co-operating fully with local authorities” to minimise any damage.
New Zealand’s conservation department has established two wildlife rescue centres and dispatched teams to search beaches and islands in the area for affected animals and birds.