The HMNZS Manawanui, a New Zealand Navy ship that struck a reef and sank off the coast of Samoa more than two weeks ago, is continuing to cause environmental issues.
Salvage crews are racing to remove thousands of gallons of diesel fuel from waters off the southern coast of Samoa before the start of cyclone season in November.
Residents fear long-lasting damage to the marine environment. They’re calling for an independent investigation into the destruction of the reef and the oil spill.
New Zealand’s prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has apologized to Samoan officials for the grounding.
But there have been conflicting accounts of the damage. New Zealand’s Defense Minister Judith Collins has cast doubts on the 53,000 gallon figure given by Samoa, saying it was likely much less.
Samoa’s chair of the Marine Pollution Advisory Committee Fui Mau Simanu told The Guardian that the destruction in the surrounding area of the shipwreck was “significant.”
Samoan villagers say their livelihoods are already being affected. It’s a blow to a country still recovering from a tsunami that destroyed the marine ecosystem 15 years ago.
