China ship drama: Tug boats rush in
Source: Agencies |
April 6, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WORKERS rushed to contain an oil spill yesterday from a Chinese coal-carrying ship grounded on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, sending two tug boats to stabilize the vessel so it would not break apart and further damage fragile coral beneath.
Shen Neng I rammed into Douglas Shoals late on Saturday, an area that has shipping restrictions in order to protect what is the world's largest coral reef listed as a World Heritage site because of its gleaming waters and environmental value as home to thousands of marine species.
About 2 tons of oil have already spilled from the 1,000 tons of fuel on board, creating a 100-meter slick that stretches 3 kilometers, Marine Safety Queensland said in a statement.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said a boom would be put around the ship by today to contain oil leaking from the hull. Aircraft sprayed chemical dispersants to break up the slick yesterday.
"Our No. 1 priority is keeping this oil off the Barrier Reef and keeping it contained," she said in Brisbane.
Bligh said a salvage team reached the ship yesterday and was attempting to stabilize it.
"It's in such a delicate part of the reef and the ship is in such a badly damaged state, managing this process will require all the specialist expertise we can bring to bear," she told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio.
It could take weeks to dislodge the ship, the state premier added.
The ship's owner, Shenzhen Energy, a subsidiary of the COSCO Group that is China's largest shipping operator, could be fined up to A$1 million (US$920,000) for straying from a shipping lane.
"This is a very delicate part of one of the most precious marine environments on Earth and there are safe authorized shipping channels ... and that's where this ship should have been," Bligh said.
Authorities fear the ship will break apart during the salvage operation and wreck more coral, or spill more of its heavy fuel oil into the sun-soaked and pristine sea.
However, Bligh said the risk of the ship breaking apart appeared to have lessened since the first of two tug boats arrived and reduced its movement.
Initial damage reports on the tanker showed flooding in the main engine room and damage to the main engine and the rudder.
A police boat is standing by to evacuate the 23 crew members if the ship breaks apart.
The bulk carrier was taking about 72,000 tons of coal to China from the Queensland port of Gladstone when it slammed into the shoals off Queensland's coast in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Numerous conservation groups have expressed outrage that bulk carriers can travel through the reef without a specialized marine pilot.
Shipping lanes in Australian waters typically require a seasoned captain to go aboard an incoming ship to help navigate around hazards. Until now, the government has said there is no need for marine pilots around the protected area because large ships are banned there.
Maritime law specialist Michael White of the University of Queensland said oil was the major environmental threat posed by the grounding. While coal could do "considerable localized damage," it would be quick to dissipate.
Marine geologist Greg Webb, from the Queensland University of Technology, said the effects of an oil and coal spill could have unknown consequences.
"In the past we always just thought reefs could put up with anything," he told ABC radio. "I guess over the last decade or so, we're beginning to understand that maybe they can't."
Shen Neng I rammed into Douglas Shoals late on Saturday, an area that has shipping restrictions in order to protect what is the world's largest coral reef listed as a World Heritage site because of its gleaming waters and environmental value as home to thousands of marine species.
About 2 tons of oil have already spilled from the 1,000 tons of fuel on board, creating a 100-meter slick that stretches 3 kilometers, Marine Safety Queensland said in a statement.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said a boom would be put around the ship by today to contain oil leaking from the hull. Aircraft sprayed chemical dispersants to break up the slick yesterday.
"Our No. 1 priority is keeping this oil off the Barrier Reef and keeping it contained," she said in Brisbane.
Bligh said a salvage team reached the ship yesterday and was attempting to stabilize it.
"It's in such a delicate part of the reef and the ship is in such a badly damaged state, managing this process will require all the specialist expertise we can bring to bear," she told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio.
It could take weeks to dislodge the ship, the state premier added.
The ship's owner, Shenzhen Energy, a subsidiary of the COSCO Group that is China's largest shipping operator, could be fined up to A$1 million (US$920,000) for straying from a shipping lane.
"This is a very delicate part of one of the most precious marine environments on Earth and there are safe authorized shipping channels ... and that's where this ship should have been," Bligh said.
Authorities fear the ship will break apart during the salvage operation and wreck more coral, or spill more of its heavy fuel oil into the sun-soaked and pristine sea.
However, Bligh said the risk of the ship breaking apart appeared to have lessened since the first of two tug boats arrived and reduced its movement.
Initial damage reports on the tanker showed flooding in the main engine room and damage to the main engine and the rudder.
A police boat is standing by to evacuate the 23 crew members if the ship breaks apart.
The bulk carrier was taking about 72,000 tons of coal to China from the Queensland port of Gladstone when it slammed into the shoals off Queensland's coast in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Numerous conservation groups have expressed outrage that bulk carriers can travel through the reef without a specialized marine pilot.
Shipping lanes in Australian waters typically require a seasoned captain to go aboard an incoming ship to help navigate around hazards. Until now, the government has said there is no need for marine pilots around the protected area because large ships are banned there.
Maritime law specialist Michael White of the University of Queensland said oil was the major environmental threat posed by the grounding. While coal could do "considerable localized damage," it would be quick to dissipate.
Marine geologist Greg Webb, from the Queensland University of Technology, said the effects of an oil and coal spill could have unknown consequences.
"In the past we always just thought reefs could put up with anything," he told ABC radio. "I guess over the last decade or so, we're beginning to understand that maybe they can't."
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