Re: New Zealand - 'Environmental disaster' warning as oil leak spreads
Rena update (update 52)<!-- InstanceEndEditable -->
25 October 2011: 6.00pm<!-- InstanceEndEditable -->
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Nearly half of the oil left on board the grounded container ship
Rena in Tauranga has now been pumped off to the bunker barge
Awanuia.<!-- InstanceEndEditable -->
<!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="Main_content" -->Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) Salvage Unit Manager, Bruce Anderson said 164 tonnes had been pumped off the ship over the past 24 hours, the highest daily rate to date. This brings the total amount of oil pumped off the ship to 645 tonnes, with about another 700 tonnes still on board.
All of the oil pumped off so far has come from the port number 5 tank, and pumping began this afternoon on the three tanks in the engine room which together hold around 250 tonnes of oil. This oil is being pumped into port number 5 tank and then out to the
Awanuia.
?It is great news that we are pumping from the tanks in the engine room now too,? he said. However, he also emphasised that getting the oil out of the submerged starboard number 5 tank which holds 358 tonnes of oil remained a significant challenge.
National On-Scene Commander Rob Service said there had been no more significant leakages of oil from the ship. The small oil spill of around 5 to 10 tonnes from Saturday night was still in the area of the
Rena and breaking up naturally in the water.
?We are tracking the oil which is heading north. Our predictions, however, are based on current weather and tide conditions and these are changing rapidly. We are continuing to model and remodel the movement of the remaining oil and where it might end up.?
Mr Service said a small amount could reach the shorelines of Tūhua/Mayor Island and the Coromandel, south of Whangamata. ?If it does reach the shorelines, it will have been in the water for five or six days and will have broken down naturally quite a bit. What people may see are small patties or balls of tar.?
Mr Service said teams were planning for any potential impact and the rapid deployment of shoreline assessment officers. An offer of 200 volunteers for beach clean-up duties had already come in from Newmont Waihi Gold, the company that runs the mine in Waihi. A number of volunteers in the Coromandel had also already been trained.
?We have also already sent a Department of Conservation-led wildlife team to Mayor Island. They are working with iwi to assess the situation there and wildlife officers are now being permanently stationed on the island.?
The wildlife team reported that there was no oil on the beaches on Mayor Island. However, the team has collected two oiled birds ? a fluttering shearwater and a little blue penguin.
?We think the birds may have been oiled at sea and come in at night,? said Oiled Wildlife Response Manager Kerri Morgan. The oiled birds have been taken back to the Wildlife Response Centre at Te Maunga for treatment.
A stabilisation site had now been set up on the island to deal with any more oiled wildlife findings.
http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/news/media-releases-2011/20111025c.asp
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Updated 3.30pm 25 October 2011
View wildlife images on our incident gallery
Wildlife
What oiled wildlife been identified?
The total number of live birds being treated or in care at Wildlife Response Centre is 379. This includes the 60 New Zealand dotterels that were caught pre-emptively. As at 9am on 25 October there were:
- clean birds: 60 NZ dotterels, 1 shearwater, 1 tern, 3 pied shags and 206 little blue penguins
- oiled birds: 108 little blue penguins.
The centre has washing and treatment facilities and has on-site vets and ornithologists. Long-term enclosures are being built to house the birds until their habitats are safe for them to return to.
The Oiled Wildlife Response Team set up a wildlife response staging area around Te Kaha on 20 October, to support roving response teams that are working right around the coast from Opotiki to Te Araroa.
A total of 1,370 dead birds have been identified to date. Post-mortems are being carried out on the birds to determine if oiling is the cause of death.
Are any endangered species in the area?
Yes, the endangered New Zealand dotterel has been affected. There are 60 dotterels in captivity at the centre ? they have been caught to protect them from the oil.
The wildlife team set 60 of the 100 adult dotterel in the Bay of Plenty as the target to be caught to ensure the sustainability of this population. It is extremely important that these precious birds are only handled by the team of trained wildlife experts.
There are only about 1,500 dotterels in existence. A special aviary has been constructed at the wildlife facility to cater to the needs of these rare birds. Dotterel can live for 25 years and although eggs are being abandoned, they will be able to breed again next year. Any chicks will be recovered.
How are the penguins doing?
Oiled Wildlife Response Manager Kerri Morgan said it was important to monitor the penguin’s health and condition, especially at feeding times. The penguins are all doing really well and have a great fighting spirit.
They are fed with either sprats or anchovies, but it is important to ensure that none of the natural oils from the fish get on the birds’ feathers, as this can damage their natural waterproofing. The penguins get fed twice a day and eat five to seven fish per feeding. They also have one swim a day. This lets them condition and preen their feathers, which is crucial to their re-waterproofing.
New enclosures are being built for little blue penguins at the Wildlife Response Centre at Te Maunga. The builders aim to have three of the planned 10 aviaries finished by Tuesday afternoon. Each aviary can house up to approximately 25 penguins, and has an indoor pool and communal areas for the penguins to preen, feed and swim. The enclosures will be able to house them more comfortably long term. It is too early to say when they can be released, but we want to ensure all the penguins are healthy and well nourished before this takes place.
Who is working on the oiled wildlife response?
There are 140 people in 39 teams in the field working on the wildlife response. They are scoring kilometres of coastline looking for oiled wildlife. The response team has been setting traps for seals to check them for oil ? no oiled seals have been confirmed to date.
Teams have been working on beaches from Mount Maunganui to Maketu spit and on Mōtītī and Tūhua islands. They have compiled information on species and numbers to be expected and monitoring the condition of the live birds they see. They have also been conducting night operations to recover little blue penguins.
DoC vessel
Matariki has been patrolling the coast and inspecting some of the smaller islands.
Many reports of seals have been received and the seals are being checked. Wet seals are easily mistaken for oiled ones and healthy seals will be left on the beach. A fur seal plan has been developed in the event that seals become affected by oil. This plan covers people, equipment and facilities as well as the possible capture of seals.
What wildlife is in the area?
Department of Conservation (DoC) has advised that there are Petrels, Little Blue Penguins and a seal colony in the stretch of coastline affected by oil. DoC and the National Oiled Wildlife Response Team (NOWRT) are monitoring the situation and have equipment and personnel standing by.
Who is NOWRT?
NOWRT is trained, managed and coordinated by specialists at Massey University's New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre in Palmerston North, under contract to MNZ. Its members include vets, pathologists and wildlife technicians. Regional councils around the country also contribute personnel.
What specialist equipment does NOWRT have to deal with any oiled wildlife?
NOWRT has specialised units, which are housed in a standard shipping container, can be transported by road, rail or sea to deal with wildlife during an oil spill. Each unit has three wash stations at which oiled birds and other wildlife can be carefully washed and rinsed ? a process that takes about 40 minutes.
Where are the oiled wildlife centres located?
Oiled wildlife response centres have been established on Mōtītī Island, Te Kaha and in Te Maunga. The wildlife team working on the response includes veterinarians, expert responders and ornithologists with experience in the capture and treatment of oiled birds. Beach searches on Mōtītī Island and the Maketu Peninsula are being undertaken and there are also three boats doing marine sweeps.
The Oiled Wildlife Response Team established a wildlife response staging area around Te Kaha on 20 October to support the roving response teams that are working right around the coast from Opotiki to Te Araroa.
A behind-the-scenes tour of the Oiled Wildlife Response facility in Tauranga with Dr Brett Gartrell.
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an I still walk my dog on the beach?
People should avoid walking dogs on the beach and should not enter any restricted areas. If dogs or other domestic animals do get oiled, please call the wildlife response team for assistance on 0800 333 771.
What should I do if I find some oiled wildlife?
Members of the public encountering oiled wildlife on the coastline are advised NOT to handle wildlife themselves, or attempt to move or clean the animals. The wildlife team will need precise details of the location, animal species and numbers of any oiled animals encountered. Oiled animals will be transported by the wildlife team.
Given the safety concerns, members of the public should not be heading out on the water to assist with recovery of injured animals or go anywhere near the grounded vessel. An exclusion zone remains in place around the vessel
If members of the public see any affected wildlife please report this to the special phone number 0800 333 771.
How can the public help?
Any volunteer action should be coordinated through the Incident Command Centre.
Volunteers who want to assist the wildlife response should contact the wildlife team on 0800 333 771.
Warning
MNZ is also warning the public of scam callers after reports to the Wildlife team reporting people receiving phone calls asking for donations.
http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/Incident/wildlife.asp
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