Rough seas have caused the crack in the hull of the stricken Rena to widen
MV RENA remains firmly wedged on the Astrolabe Reef
Read moreDetailsMV RENA remains firmly wedged on the Astrolabe Reef
Read moreDetailsBut remains firmly wedged on the Astrolabe Reef The stricken cargo ship Rena has split in two but remains firmly wedged on the Astrolabe Reef off the coast Tauranga.Maritime New Zealand today said a gaping crack in the ship's hull had widened in swells of up to 5m on Saturday.The vessel may still be joined together under the surface and divers would investigate as the weather permitted.A spokeswoman this afternoon said there was no change to the ship's state today, and it remained firmly wedged on the reef, where it ran aground early October.Light oil sheens were seen coming from the bow and stern of the ship this morning, with an unknown quantity of oil still on board.Two containers are confirmed to have fallen overboard on Saturday while a further nine have been "misplaced''.These could have been crushed in the hold or fallen overboard.Four oiled blue penguins were collected in the past two days, which would be sent to the wildlife recovery centre later this week.One oiled blue penguin was found dead.One dotterel, two grey faced petrels and 17 penguins are in care at the Massey facility in Palmerston North.Winds of between 10 and 20 knots and swells of 1-2m ...
Read moreDetailsClean-up crews continue working on beaches Oil from the stricken ship Rena is continuing to wash ashore at popular holiday beaches.Maritime New Zealand said a light sheen was this morning extending up to 2.5km from the container ship, which ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef near Tauranga in early October.The foul weather battering most of the country today is working in favour of clean-up crews, with the wind and swells of up to 4m helping to break up the oil in the sea.But it was also helping to bring more oil ashore, with further sightings today at Papamoa and Mt Maunganui beaches _ popular spots among the thousands of New Year's revellers who have descended on the Bay of Plenty.Maritime New Zealand said clean-up crews would be working on both beaches today.The oil has also had an impact on wildlife, with one newly-oiled penguin picked up today.The penguin would be fed and stabilised before being taken to the Massey University wildlife recovery centre in Palmerston North.Wildlife teams last night monitored penguin sites around Mt Maunganui, checking 37 birds, none of which were oiled.The bad weather has also put a stop to container salvage work, with no salvors onboard the Rena ...
Read moreDetailsThe New Zealand Shippers' Council says the country could save millions by using bigger ships Port of Tauranga has received backing from the Environment Court to deepen its shipping channel, enabling larger container ships to use the harbour.Port of Tauranga wants to deepen the channel by up to 17.4 metres.The dredging would allow the port to accept vessels up to 40% larger than can now be handled at the country's biggest port, Ports of Auckland.The Shippers' Council says the value of having bigger ships operate on the South East Asia route could be up to $338 million a year from 2015, increasing up to $391 million a year by 2020.The council says these figures exclude the significant flow-on benefits to the rest of the economy.Tauranga's Chamber of Commerce president Warwick de Vere says Tauranga will reap the economic benefits of the development.He says with the use of larger ships it's possible to bring more cargo in for the same freight costs, so the unit cost of any cargo in or out reduces on a unit basis.Environment Court backs planPort of Tauranga has received backing from the Environment Court to dredge its shipping channel, which would enable larger container vessels to ...
Read moreDetailsMore little penguins tasted freedom after they were cleaned of oil More little penguins tasted freedom last week after they were cleaned of oil from this year's spill in New Zealand.The October spill, which was caused by a grounded cargo ship, left over two thousand oil-covered birds dead and hundreds in rescuers' hands. In late November, 49 penguins rescued from the spill were returned to the wild.In the video, one rescuer told the BBC that although some birds are still undergoing rehabilitation, these are the last of the birds from the Mount Maunganui area to be released. He said, "This is a huge relief to our whole team, to get these birds back out again."The BBC explains that each bird had to pass a blood test and a swimming test before it could be returned the wild.The oil spill, which released about 400 tons of oil near Northern New Zealand, has been called New Zealand's worst maritime environmental disaster.Brazil is also dealing with the aftermath of a serious environmental disaster. The Brazilian government recently announced that it is seeking $10.6 billion in damages from Chevron for an offshore oil spill in November.Source: Huffington Post
Read moreDetailsProgress is being made for safer and cleaner waters Maritime New Zealand issued its Annual Report 2010/11.It indicates that good progress is being made against the 2010-2013 Statement of Intent.You can view the Report, by clicking here.Source: Maritime NZ
Read moreDetailsProblems identified during inpections in July When an Australian ship inspector took a close look at a metal pin securing cargo on the Rena, he realized it wasn't an original. It was too thin and had no tab to keep it from falling out. Then he discovered that cleats securing the hatch could be removed with a single finger.Those were just two of 17 safety problems Tim Jordan and other inspectors found when the cargo ship docked in western Australia in July. Someone had tampered with an alarm. The navigation manuals were out of date. The data recorder was still wrapped in its canvas.The violations are described in records obtained by The Associated Press under Australian freedom of information laws. Inspection reports, emails and faxes tell the story of how Australia impounded the Greek-owned vessel, which like many ships is registered in Liberia, but then released it the next day after Liberian maritime authorities intervened, essentially saying the ship was safe to sail and the problems could be fixed later.On a calm night 10 weeks later, the Rena ran full-steam into a well-charted reef off the coast of New Zealand.It spilled 400 tons of oil, killing 2,000 sea birds and ...
Read moreDetailsIncreasing winds were predicted to peak at speeds of 30 knots, bringing swells up to 4m high The Rena remained in a fragile state last night as forecasts of more bad weather renewed fears the ship may break apart.Increasing winds were predicted to peak today at speeds of 30 knots, bringing swells up to 4m high, Maritime New Zealand reported.The bad weather is forecast to settle after Saturday.A 30m-wide rainbow oil sheen was yesterday seen stretching up to 5km from the vessel.Some darker patches of oil were visible around the ship.Salvors have been modifying a crane used to lift containers from the ship and have also been installing large steel patches in the Rena's internal corridors, to improve buoyancy.Three of the patches, weighing about 700kg each, have been installed and work on installing another three is almost completed.Dive teams inspecting the Rena's hull have found slight changes in the buckling in the starboard side, although motion sensors attached to the hull have detected no significant change in movement.Efforts to clear containers from the ship have halted, but a recovery team has found part of a container from the Rena at Te Kaha on the East Cape. It has been brought ...
Read moreDetailsInterest in the Tasman Sea, Pacific Ocean and the Southern Ocean New Zealand and Australia agreed to collaborate on marine observations, research and data management for the first time, although they are friendly neighbors.The agreement recognizes that both countries have a shared interest in the Tasman Sea, Pacific Ocean and the Southern Ocean.Signed at Parliament House in Canberra this morning by Senator Kim Carr, Minister of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and the New Zealand High Commissioner, Major General Martyn Dunne, the pact is the culmination of months of talks.At the same time the formal agreement is being signed in Canberra, a joint Australia-New Zealand marine observation symposium is being held in Hobart, Tasmania to develop collaborative research opportunities for inclusion in a future bilateral work programme.Speaking from Hobart, Tim Moltmann, director of the Australian government Integrated Marine Observing System, said the agreement to cooperate more on marine research and observation would have huge benefits for both countries."Australia is now taking a much more national, collaborative approach to marine observing and data management," said Moltmann. "This is paying big dividends for marine and climate science in our own country and it just makes good sense to reach out to our ...
Read moreDetailsOwners will have to pay a big bill to get it back The company salvaging the stricken container ship Rena has now confirmed the owners of cargo on board the ship will have to pay a big bill to get it back.The Mediterranean Shipping Company, which chartered the container ship, and an adjuster working for salvage company Svitzer have sent letters to container owners, naming their price.It comes after the company earlier refused to confirm details of the charges, which One News learnt about from sources.The letters say owners will have to pay 80 per cent of the container's value to get their property back.They can get a cash discount if they pay up front in US dollars, plus freight and insurance costs.The letters also warn that owners will have to pay fees to cover the storage cost of their container if they don't pay within a certain timeframe.It will be the highest charge in history to return shipwrecked goods, eclipsing the 60 per cent charged for cargo retrieved from the Napoli shipwreck off the British coast five years ago.Svitzer spokesman Matthew Watson said his company was following standard global maritime salvage practices."If property owners have concerns about their belongings, ...
Read moreDetails