Rena Response Meets Support

Clean-up operations are underway along the eastern coastline on 19th October 2011 as some oil and debris has come ashore as far south as the East Cape, New Zealand. National On Scene Commander Ian Niblock says that support has been "outstanding", with clean-up teams removing more weathered oil from the shoreline at Maketu and towards the East Cape today. 

 

Maritime New Zealand have been working collaboratively with shoreline clean-up assessment teams, the New Zealand Defence Force, iwi and community members, and the volunteer coordination group to action our clean-up plans. Mr Niblock says that they need to wait for the right conditions and have the right tools and knowledge in place before turning plans into action on the ground.

 

A coastal navigation warning regarding containers remains in force and includes the East Cape. Mr Niblock says there will be specialist teams in the region tomorrow to assess and recover material that has come ashore. Volunteers will also continue to be called upon to assist with shoreline clean up during the next few weeks, especially if Rena releases more oil.

As oil and debris comes ashore along the east coast towards East Cape, members of the public are requested to report dead or oiled wildlife (birds, mammals and fish) to the Oiled Wildlife Response Team.

 

Meanwhile, a team of four salvors is on board the vessel Rena ensuring operations will be set to resume when the weather conditions improve. The decision was made not to restart pumping oil off the Rena due to the rough weather and swell conditions. Svitzer Salvage team leader Captain Drew Shannon says that time delays and associated challenges are a normal part of salvage operations.

 

Birds in care at the Wildlife Recovery Centre currently total 269, including 56 endangered NZ dotterels. These rare and precious birds have been taken into safe keeping in case of further oil coming ashore on their prime breeding habitat along the Bay of Plenty coast.