Locals fear damage, report smell after HMNZS Manawanui sinking

The HMNZS Manawanui, aground in Samoa. Photo: Profile Boats / supplied

Residents on the south coast of Upolu in Samoa fear potential oil or chemical spillage from HMNZS Manawanui could be disastarous for the local environment and businesses.

Local authorities are conducting environmental assessments after the $100 million specialist survey ship hit a reef on Saturday night and sank Sunday morning.

Manager at Coconuts Beach Club at Maninoa, Brian Rose, says they are concerned about the potential impacts of the disaster on their lagoon, which has a sizeable turtle population - a major tourist attraction.

"So far it looks like the impact directly on our shores has been minimal, but we know that with tides and currents things change and so we're going to keep an eye out to make sure if there's any problems that we know about them and prevent our guests from getting in the water if it's going to be unsafe, he said.

"We have a large population of sea turtles that swim around our lagoon and people enjoy that I'm hoping that nothing happens to them.

Rose said the vessel first ran aground on a reef not far from their location, then drifted west to where it finally sank.

Local Manu Percival told Morning Report the mess would have a huge effect on tourism, along with on local communities as the area was used for food and surfing, and is a home for marine life like sea turtles.

It was a wild part of the ocean and the oil was swept down the coast really fast, he said.

"The impact is crazy, there's so many green sea turtles in that area, so many stingray.

"Where the ship went down, just inland from it is a huge lagoon...and it houses all sorts of animals...they're all going to be affected.

"That bit of our ocean too is full of the grass that the turtles eat."

That area was known for being treacherous, he said.

"There's a huge wave right where it crashed. Any locals, they go right round that stuff...where it crashed."

No one was in the water at the time of the crash because of the 40 knot winds and rough seas, he said.

Locals in Siumu and Sa'anapu told Samoa Observer there was a strong, pervasive odour of oil leaking from the sunken ship.

Minister of Defence Judith Collins said the environmental impact was the government's main focus, alongside a salvage operation.

"We need to make sure we do everything we can around the environmental side," she told Morning Report.

A spill kit had been sent over but Martime NZ has special spill equipment and NIWA has mapping capability, she said.

"There's a lot of fuel on that ship, partly this (the environmental impact) is going to depend I'm told on what is the state of the bottom of the ocean at that point, whether it's sand or whether it's rocky or whatever.

"But clearly New Zealand is standing ready to work with Samoa on this and I know that there will be discussions going on with those that are operationally involved as to what we can do."

It was unclear if the ship could be taken off the reef, Collins said.

The Prime Minister Chrisopher Luxon also said the focus was now on mitigating the environmental impacts.

Locals have reported an oil-like substance in the water around the sunk ship.

Luxon said teams went up on Sunday night with spill kits to help reduce the impact of any oil spilling.

He said more teams would be heading to the site on Monday.

for ad-free news and current affairs