Margot
Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior
journalist
Illegal diving and forced entry at the
wreck of HMNZS Manawanui have prompted the Samoan
government to increase surveillance of the navy
vessel.
The Royal New Zealand Navy ship sank in
October 2024 off the south coast of Upolu after hitting a
reef, spilling hundreds of thousands of litres of diesel and
oil into the ocean.
Three naval officers are now
facing a court martial – a specialised military court that
tries members of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The
charges include negligently causing a ship to be lost, which
is punishable by up to two years in prison.
The Samoan
government has ordered a 300-metre radius ban around the
vessel, saying it poses significant risks to divers,
fisherman and small craft.
Its Marine Pollution
Advisory Committee (MPAC) said the vessel will be more
closely monitored following reports of divers in the
vicinity.
MPAC’s chair Fui Tupai Mau Simanu said the
government had a statutory duty under the Shipping Act to
prevent unsafe interaction with marine hazards.
He
said divers risked getting tangled or trapped in ropes and
cables and the wreck was unstable.
“It could suddenly
shift due to currents and tides, and wreck material could
threaten boats that may be operating nearby,” Simanu
said.
He said there was a risk of pollutants being
released, with lubricants still embedded in piping
systems.
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“When pipes corrode and break these chemicals
will leak out into the ocean,” he said.
The committee
has also imposed a ban on manned and unmanned aircraft
flying below 500ft above sea level over the
zone.
However, he said commercial air traffic at
cruising altitude is not affected, as only low-level drone
activity is regulated.
“It is Standard Practice in
Maritime Emergency Zones. It aligns with International
Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO) guidelines for wreck sites and pollution
response.”
“It is also stipulated in the United
Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea Article 60, where
a Coastal State is allowed to establish a safety zone of up
to 500 metres around a dangerous zone,” he said.
The
New Zealand Defence Force’s Manawanui response lead Captain
Rodger Ward told RNZ Pacific that signs of unauthorised
activity were found during a recent survey of the
ship.
“Unauthorised diving on HMNZS Manawanui
is an unsafe practice and creates a risk of injury and
to life,” Ward said.
“There is currently a 300 metre
Prohibited Area around Manawanui providing a safety
buffer zone, with all diving within that zone prohibited
unless authorised by Samoa’s Ministry of Works, Transport
and Infrastructure.”
He said a team of Royal New
Zealand Navy diving personnel would travel to Samoa to
conduct an extensive survey the wreck and carry out
remediation work.
The ban will remain in force until
the MPAC is satisfied the wreck is stable, all pollution
risks have been mitigated and the area is safe for
navigation and public activity.
The government said it
plans to “secure” the wreckage by stabilising the wreck,
containing pollutants and controlling access to the
site.
It will also erect navigational warnings and
continue constant
monitoring.
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