Race to drain fuel from stricken ship

The ship has about 1,700 tonnes of fuel on board, according to Maritime New Zealand, the agency responsible for shipping in the region. The agency believes that so far, up to 30 tonnes have leaked into the Bay of Plenty, a large area noted for its fishing, diving and surfing.

The agency said in an update late yesterday that a barge, the Awanuia, had pulled up alongside the Rena and was to begin pumping fuel from the stricken ship within hours. The operation is expected to last at least two days, although it could be delayed by bad weather. “The weather is expected to deteriorate in the coming days, so we are working around the clock to remove the oil,” the agency said.

Salvage experts and naval architects are on board to monitor the ship, the agency said, and sensors should indicate if it is in danger of breaking apart.

“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,” the agency said.

A navy vessel, the Endeavour, will be used as a command platform for the operation. About 200 people are working on the response, and New Zealand’s defence force has about 300 people standing by in case beach clean-ups are needed.

So far, eight sea birds – six little blue penguins and two shags – have been rescued from an oil slick that extends about three miles from the ship.

Yesterday, New Zealand’s prime minister, John Key, visited the area and demanded answers.

“This is a ship that’s ploughed into a well-documented reef in calm waters in the middle of the night at 17 knots. So, somebody needs to tell us why that’s happened,” he said.

In a statement, the owner of the ship, Greek firm Costamare, said it was “co-operating fully with local authorities” and making every effort to “control and minimize the environmental consequences of this incident”.

The company did not offer any explanation for the grounding. “Evaluations so far indicate that hull stresses are within allowable limits and that there is no deterioration of the ship’s condition,” the company said, adding that minimising damage to the New Zealand coastline was its priority.

Environmental agency Greenpeace denounced the spill and what it said was a slow response. “This is an unfortunate illustration of just how difficult it is to deal with oil spills at sea,” said Greenpeace spokesman Steve Abel. “Even a slow, and relatively accessible oil spill like this one has clearly stretched New Zealand’s response capability.

“It is a potential disaster for the blue whales and dolphins presently calving in the area, as well as numerous other marine species.”