紐西蘭當局正在準備處理10月5日擱淺在北島陶朗加港外星盤礁(Astrolabe Reef)上，隨時可能會解體的貨輪。這起貨輪擱淺是紐西蘭有史以來最嚴重的環境事故。
到13日為止，估計有350噸的油料以及88個貨櫃由這艘受損且擱淺的貨船流出，其中部份的貨櫃已經被沖上岸。
這艘貨輪雷納號(Rena)隸屬於希臘船公司Costamare，裝載有1700噸的燃油以及超過1300個貨櫃，其中11個含有危險物品。
一個由500名工作人員組成的大規模清理沙灘與海洋的行動正在進行中，油污主要集中在Papamoa白色的長灘上，這裡是北島東北部豐盛灣區(Bay of Plenty region)陶朗加最大的郊區。
紐西蘭海事局在13日上午表示，船體的裂縫並沒有擴大的跡象，而船隻傾角則約為30度，使得船身更穩定的座在礁石上。
但海事局表示，船尾可能會斷裂，拖船正試圖穩住該部位。
大副與二副已經被紐西蘭海事局以「操作船隻不當造成不必要之損害與危險」之名起訴。
船主則已向紐西蘭以及豐盛灣區的居民，就觸礁事件表達歉意。
Costamere 航運公司總經理Diamantis Manos說，47000噸的賴比瑞亞籍雷娜號過去狀況良好，船長的紀錄也屬「模範」。
「對陶朗加的居民們，發生這樣的事使大家受到威脅，我們感到很抱歉，在你們美麗的世界裡，擱淺船舶的燃油被沖上海灘。」Manos說道，「我們對發生的事毫不猶豫的道歉，是我們的船擱淺了。我們已經安排世界各地的專家來處理這個問題。」
打撈公司Svitzer負責打撈落水的貨櫃。紐西蘭警方與消防局則協助海事局處理被沖上岸的貨櫃。
有六艘船隻在陶朗加港巡邏，收拾沉船上漂來的雜物，另外兩艘船則在準備必要的離岸欄油索。
除油劑Corexit 9500的效果已經「被證實由空中噴灑是不夠的，」紐西蘭海事局表示，「我們已經結束了空中噴灑的試驗，將繼續評估其他可能的方案。」
三位打撈專家在13日下午垂降至雷納號，他們檢查了船隻受損的情況，評估船上設備對移除剩餘燃料的能力。
加油駁船在本週稍早的時候因嘗試移除船上的油料而受損，現在已經修復並且設置就位，以便安全的抽取燃油。
現場有超過370名紐西蘭國防軍官兵，還有更多人已經準備投入。國防軍聯合特遣部隊指揮官David Turner說，「部隊已經準備好由林頓和伯納姆前往陶朗加，還包含奧克蘭與陶朗加的地面部隊。希望不會用上他們，但是事前先準備好，就可以在有需要的時候快速行動。」
紐西蘭森林與鳥類保護協會說，豐盛灣區沿岸已經發現數百隻鳥類死於雷納的漏油事件，但這僅代表一小部分受影響的野生動物。
森林與鳥的海鳥保育員Karen Baird說，「在海灘上被沖上岸的鳥屍只占全體受影響鳥類的數目的一小部分。」
許多海鳥目前在豐盛灣區的海島以及附近地區中繁殖，成鳥所受到的影響也會波及雛鳥。這些鳥類在洞穴周繁殖，所以油污沾染到成鳥的羽毛後，就會被帶到巢穴中，進而影響雛鳥。
如果親鳥吞下油污，他們以及所餵食的儲鳥就可能會受傷或死亡，親鳥死亡的儲鳥則會挨餓，Baird 解釋。
目前死亡的鳥類紀錄中，包括了178隻鵜燕，114隻棕嘴鸌，68隻灰背鸌，13隻小藍企鵝，以及幾隻信天翁與其他海燕。
11隻被污染的小藍企鵝被帶到蒙哥努伊山受油污染野生動物處理中心過夜，5隻紐西蘭鷸則由受到油污威脅的Matakana Island, Maketu and Pukehina等地遷走。
「那三個地方是紐西蘭鷸生存的重要地點，現在正要進入牠們的繁殖季。」Baird說，「這是高度瀕危的物種，估計只剩下1500隻。」
其他物種也受到了威脅。5隻被油污染的海豹正在接受治療，該地的鯨魚、海豚還有海岸魚類也受到嚴重關注。
目前成立了一個基金，來幫助社區團體在雷納觸礁事件之後照顧豐盛灣區的海岸與河口。豐盛灣區市政局、陶朗加市議會以及西豐盛灣區議會共同成立了「關心海岸基金」。
陶朗嘉市市長Stuart Crosby表示，陶朗加人都熱愛自己的海岸與河口，會尋求各方支持。所有的捐款都會用在官方沒有顧及到的海岸與河口保護工作。
其他ENS對雷納號擱淺的報導請見：
New Zealand authorities are preparing to deal with the possible breakup of a container ship that ran aground October 5 on Astrolabe Reef off the Port of Tauranga on New Zealand's North Island. The grounding has resulted in New Zealand's worst-ever environmental disaster.
To date, an estimated 350 tonnes of oil has spilled into the sea and 88 containers have come off the damaged, listing vessel. Some containers have washed ashore.
The Rena, owned by Greek company Costamare, was carrying 1,700 tonnes of fuel oil and more than 1,300 containers, including 11 holding dangerous goods.
A major clean-up of beaches and the ocean is underway, with some 500 responders on the beach. The heaviest concentration of oil is coming onto the long, white sandy beach at Papamoa, the largest suburb of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region on the northeastern coast of the North Island.
Maritime New Zealand said this morning that a big crack in the ship's hull does not appear to have worsened and the vessel has turned about 30 degrees, making it more stable on the reef.
But the agency is concerned that the stern might break away, and tugs have been on the scene trying to hold that part of the vessel steady.
Both the Master and the Second Officer have been charged by Maritime New Zealand "for operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk."
The owners of a stricken container ship have apologized to New Zealand and Bay of Plenty residents for the grounding.
Diamantis Manos, the managing director of Costamere Shipping, says the 47,000-tonne, Liberian-flagged Rena was in a good condition and the master of the ship has an "exemplary record."
"To the people of Tauranga, we want to say that we are deeply sorry for the situation that has arisen and the threat you are now facing from fuel oil from the vessel washing up on the beaches in your beautiful part of the world," said Manos. "It is our ship that went aground and we apologize without hesitation for what has happened. "We have sent the best experts from around the world to try to help deal with the situation."
The salvage company Svitzer is responsible for collecting containers that have fallen into the water. The New Zealand Police and the Fire Service are assisting MNZ in recovering the containers that have reached the shoreline.
There are six vessels patrolling Tauranga harbor, picking up debris from the ship. Two additional vessels are preparing for offshore booming should this become necessary.
The effectiveness of the dispersant Corexit 9500 has been "insufficient to justify aerial application to the spilled oil," said Maritime New Zealand. "We have consequently ended the aerial application trials and will continue to assess all response options," the agency said.
Three salvage experts were winched down to the Rena this morning. They are inspecting the damage to the vessel, assessing the capability of equipment on the ship to resume removing the remaining fuel.
The bunker barge that was damaged while trying to take oil off the ship earlier this week is now repaired and is putting new mooring arrangements in place to allow for the safe transfer of oil.
Over 370 New Zealand Defence Force personnel are on the scene and more are standing by. Defence Force Joint Task Force Commander David Turner said, "The troops are ready to deploy to Tauranga from Linton, Burnham, as well as Territorial soldiers from Auckland and Tauranga. Hopefully they won't be necessary, but it is better to be prepared so that we can act quickly should they be needed."
Hundreds of dead birds have already been found along the Bay of Plenty shore as a result of the Rena oil spill, but these represent just a fraction of the affected wildlife, the New Zealand Forest & Bird Protection Society said today.
"The number of birds being found washed up on the beaches will be a very small proportion of the birds being affected," said Forest & Bird's seabird conservation advocate Karen Baird.
Many seabirds are currently breeding on offshore islands in the Bay of Plenty and nearby regions and any impact on the parent birds will also affect their chicks. These seabirds breed in burrows so any birds with oil on their feathers could carry that oil into their nests and harm their chicks as well.
If the parent birds have swallowed oil, both they and any chicks they feed are likely to die or be harmed, and the chicks of parents that die will starve, explained Baird.
Among the dead birds recorded so far are 178 diving petrels, 114 fluttering shearwaters, 68 Buller's shearwaters and 13 little blue penguins, along with smaller numbers of albatrosses and other species of petrel.
Eleven oiled little blue penguins were taken to the Oiled Wildlife Response Unit in Mount Maunganui overnight and five New Zealand dotterels have been removed from areas threatened by oil pollution at Matakana Island, Maketu and Pukehina.
"These three areas are important strongholds for New Zealand dotterels, which are going into their breeding season," said Baird. "This is a highly endangered species, with only around 1,500 birds estimated to exist."
Other species also are threatened. Five oiled seals are being treated and there are serious concerns for whales, dolphins and coastal fish species in the area.
A fund is being established to help community groups care for Bay of Plenty's coast and estuaries, following the grounding of the Rena. Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Councils have joined forces to set up the Care For Our Coast Fund.
Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby said Tauranga people are passionate about their beaches and estuaries and will be looking for support in the future. Any donations to the fund will be put towards Coast Care and Estuary Care work not covered by the official recovery response.
For earlier ENS coverage of the Rena grounding, see:
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
