Weather expected to deteriorate in
coming days
Salvage workers in New Zealand
The Liberian-flagged Rena, with 2,100
shipping containers on board, struck the Astrolabe Reef about 12 nautical miles
from Tauranga Harbour
 |
A helicopter sprays a dispersant on an
oil slick from the container ship MV Rena, which is stuck on a reef off the
coast of Tauranga,
|
Birds and penguins have been sighted
covered in oil and there are fears the ship could break up in gale-force winds,
predicted to hit Monday.
The vessel, operated by the
Mediterranean Shipping Co., was headed for the Port of Tauranga
Maritime New
Zealand , the agency responsible for shipping in the
region, says about 20 to 30 tonnes of oil has spilled into the Bay of Plenty
 |
| Site of MV Rena |
The New Zealand
The agency said in an update late
Sunday that a barge, the Awanuia, had pulled up alongside the Rena and was to
begin pumping fuel from the stricken ship. The operation is expected to last at
least two days, although it could be delayed by bad weather.
 |
| An oil slick streams from the Rena, a 47,000 tonne container ship grounded on a reef in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty. Photog -Getty |
Breck Gartrill, head of the New Zealand
Wildlife Health Centre, said the oil is killing penguins and seabirds.
"From tip to toe they are covered
in black sticky gunk, matting up all their feathers, right down to the skin. They've
ingested it and they are starting to get anemic, which is part of the toxic
effect of the oil," he said.
A rehabilitation centre has been set up
in Tauranga for animals that came in contact with oil.
Source: CBC News. 9 October 2011
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