You can see it from the sky. A long white dot on perfect blue. The HMNZS Manawanui lies about 35 meters below the surface of Samoa's southern coastal waters, now the ghost of a warship.
But the damage it left in its wake cannot be seen: the nearby reefs and the crystal clear waters of the Pacific, Whose way of life depends on the sea.
Samoan residents fear long-term damage to the marine environment after a Royal New Zealand Navy ship sank amid calls for compensation and an independent investigation amid coral reef destruction and a spill. oil in the island nation.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Lacson has apologized to Samoa's leaders after the Manawanui spilled 200,000 liters of diesel into the sea after hitting a reef off the south coast of Upolu on October 5, in what which the ship's commander described as his “worst imagination.” True.” It was the first time the New Zealand Navy had lost a ship since the Second World War.
The Defense Forces have called for a court of inquiry into the sinking as Lacson and Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Matafa meet ahead of this week's Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa.
But fifteen days after the sinking of the specialized $100 million hydrographic and diving ship, There have been conflicting accounts of the damage described by the New Zealand Defense Force and Defense Minister Judith Collins as a “light stain” and a “spatter” in various ways. In a question and answer interview on Current Affairs and at a press conference, Collins cast doubt on the 200,000 liter figure given by Samoan officials, saying it could be too low. “There have been reports of some small leaks, but they are very small amounts and are coming from pipes that carry fuel around the ship, not from storage tanks,” he said.
The head of Samoa's Marine Pollution Advisory Committee (MPAC), Fui Mau Simanu, told The Guardian that the destruction in the surrounding area was “significant”. He said the initial assessment showed substantial damage of 5,000 square meters to the wreck and the reefs where the anchor chain rests. Three 17ft shipping containers were still damaged and the ship had around 950 tonnes of diesel and the tanks had to be removed. A team of 60 New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) personnel is working with Samoan authorities to rescue and clean up.
The NZDF did not respond to The Guardian's request for comment.
Last week, Commodore Andrew Brown, deputy chief of the New Zealand navy, told Radio New Zealand that reducing the impact on the environment was a priority.
“We take this very seriously and are working hand in hand with our other agencies such as the Samoan government and Maritime New Zealand,” he said.
Experts say it's important to remove fuel before hurricane season in November, which can lead to shipwrecks or shipwrecks.
“Is [the diesel] “It can penetrate reefs, which can cover marine birds and mammals, turtles and sea snakes,” said Nick Ling, associate professor of Biodiversity and Ecology at the University of Waikato.
“For them, filling their lungs with diesel is dangerous. The fish will ingest it, a sublethal dose if they manage to survive, and it will stain their flesh. Coral regeneration can take decades, he said.
Dr Iyati Iyati, a political scientist at Victoria University of Wellington, is among those calling for an independent investigation.
“If New Zealand wants to preserve its credibility as an honest broker in the region, it must avoid actions that appear to be a cover-up,” he told The Guardian. “New Zealand has significantly compromised the security of another country.”
'You can smell the diesel'
Samoan villagers say their livelihoods have already been affected. It is a blow for a country still recovering from a tsunami that devastated its marine environment 15 years ago.
“We are seeing before our eyes the magnitude of the oil spill that pollutes our coast. Our clay reserve is not safe, it is affecting our town and will be a long-term problem for us,” said Taloaileono Wasasu, representative of the nearby town from Tafitoala.
Tuia Paepae Letoa, the senior matai (chief) of Vaiee village, said fishermen who went out to sea from Tuesday to Friday returned with a substance suspected to be oil. He said the fish was slippery and smelled of grease. “Everything that comes from the sea is no longer safe for us, those fish have been captured for research,” Ledova said.
Villagers in Safada district gathered to discuss the impact of the collapse and compensation. They accused their own government of underestimating the damage. “This will continue to affect this generation and future generations… we have to take action,” Letova said.
Afoa Patolo Afoa is a 75-year-old matai and fisherman from Tafitoala who supports a family of 20 people. Afoa estimates that he earns around 1,000 tala ($365) on Sundays selling fish. With the 20 kilometer stretch of beach closed on October 7, there is uncertainty over when it will reopen and how safe seafood will be.
“We can't fish anymore, we have no other source of income,” Afoa said. “For now we turn to our garden for support, but it's not the same.”
Others are angry about the shipwreck.
“You could smell the diesel, they destroyed our reef. I grew up on that reef all my life, they shouldn't have hit it there, no way,” says Manu Percival, a surf guide who helped in the rescue effort. 75 crew and passengers from Manawanui.
He filled his freezer bags with chicken and food from bins scattered around the reef, but said he didn't see any New Zealanders helping him pick up the rubbish.
“As we are a poor and developing country, they don't care. This is disgusting, especially as New Zealand has caused so much historical damage to Samoa. It spreads over a large area.
Defense forces said they had emptied one of the ship's three containers, one of which was already empty. No pollution or dead marine life was found on the coast and the containers are in the process of being removed.
A New Zealand Foreign Office spokesperson said New Zealand recognized the concerns and appreciated the importance of the marine and coastal environment to the people of Samoa.
“It is too early to comment on other issues at this stage. We must first understand the situation and that will take time.
