The owners of a Chinese bulk coal carrier that ran aground and spilt oil on the Great Barrier Reef could be fined up to A$1 million (US$920,000), the leader of Australia’s Queensland state said yesterday.
Salvagers were struggling to prevent the Shen Neng 1 breaking up in pristine waters off the country’s northeastern coast, potentially spilling hundreds of tonnes of oil over the reef, which is one of Australia’s top tourist attractions.
The ship slammed into Douglas Shoal on Saturday traveling at full speed and significantly away from normal shipping lanes.
PHOTO: AFP
“I think the book should be thrown at this organization,” Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh told the Australian Broadcasting Corpo. “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.”
A government said the vessel was owned by the Shenzhen Energy Group, part of the group of the China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, better known by its acronym, COSCO.
Investigations are under way by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
An AMSA spokeswoman said its investigation would be “exploring breaches and possible offenses” under Australian law. Twenty-three crew were on board the vessel when it ran aground, she said, and so far appeared to be safe.
A COSCO spokesman in Australia could not immediately be contacted for comment yesterday. The area is part of a marine park and environmentalists say it is highly vulnerable to pollution.
The head of the government agency overseeing the operation said yesterday that the ship was still moving on the reef, causing further damage.
The main engine room had been breached, damaging its rudder and engine, Maritime Safety Queensland general manager Patrick Quirk said.
Dispersant had been sprayed to break up the spilled oil and a second tug was due in the area yesterday to help one already there to stabilize the vessel.
The 230m ship was carrying 65,000 tonnes of coal to China when it ran aground with 975 tonnes of heavy fuel oil on board. Although only a small amount of oil has leaked so far, rescue officials have said the ship will require a long and careful salvage operation, expected to take weeks.
Last year, an oil spill during a storm polluted large stretches of Queensland beaches and led to a protracted legal dispute between the state government and the ship’s owners, Swire Shipping, about the cleanup bill.
Australia is a major exporter of coal. Environmentalists criticize the trade as significantly contributing to global carbon emissions and have called for a halt to plans to expand the industry. However, tourism is also a major earner of foreign exchange and the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland’s pristine beaches are among the top tourist attractions.
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