The sinking of an oil-laden vessel has sparked fears of an environmental disaster

The government of the Pacific island nation of Samoa has warned of a possible oil spill following the sinking of a New Zealand navy ship off the coast. 

The 85-meter HMNZS Manawanui ran aground on a reef off the coast of the Samoan island of Upolu before catching fire and sinking on Sunday, triggering fears of an environmental disaster.

In a press conference late on Sunday, acting Samoan Prime Minister Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio said a fuel spill was “highly probable.” The vessel was “not recoverable” as it “has sunk into the ocean,” he added.

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The New Zealand authorities have launched an urgent clean-up operation, with Defense Minister Judith Collins saying that “the environmental side” was “the top priority.” 

“[The vessel] has got a lot of oil on board. It’s got all sorts of things. It’s got lubricating oil, hydraulic oil, diesel… it’s got a lot of stuff in it,” Collins told radio network Newstalk ZB.

People living in villages on the coast close to the site of the shipwreck reported the strong smell of oil shortly before the vessel sank.

“In terms of the environment, the vast majority of Samoa’s biodiversity and biomass exists really close to the shore. So, you just cannot afford to have any oil spills hit the coastal ecosystem,” Dr. Iati Iati from Victoria University of Wellington told local news outlet Waikato Times. 

Iati Iati also warned there would be anger on the ground towards New Zealand and suggested that Samoa should commission its own investigation to hold its neighbor accountable.

New Zealand’s defense force said it had launched a court of inquiry into the loss of the ship, which will take up to two months.

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New Zealand’s worst maritime environmental disaster was the sinking of the container ship Rena in 2011. The ship was carrying over 1,700 tonnes of heavy fuel, and the subsequent fuel spill took years to clean up.