'We feel for you': NZ Navy assures Sāmoa minimal impact key in Manawanui cleanup

The Royal New Zealand Navy has come under intense scrutiny since one of its vessels sank off the coast of Sāmoa last weekend.

HMNZS Manawanui hit a reef and a fire broke out before the ship went down as it was conducting a reef survey south of Upolu Island on Saturday night.

More than 70 crew of the HMNZS Manawanui were rescued and have returned home. Photo/Royal New Zealand Navy

More than 70 crew and passengers were safely rescued and have returned to Aotearoa. The vessel's black box has been recovered as investigations into why the ship sank continue.

Evironmental and conservation groups have reported their concerns about an oil spill and its impacts on sealife, and surrounding villages.

But New Zealand Navy's Maritime Component Commander, Shane Arndell, says every effort is being made to ensure there is minimal impact and damage to the marine environment and the locals who depend on the sea for their livelihood.

He told Pacific Mornings' William Terite that a team of about 50 people are in Sāmoa to help in New Zealand's response to the incident.

NZ Navy's Maritime Component Commander Shane Arndell says experts from Maritime NZ, Conservation, Defence Force, and the High Commission are on the ground to assist the Sāmoan government respond to the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui. Photo/NZDF

"We know that there is residual fuel now leaking from the vessel itself. It's light diesel fuel and at the moment it's tracking parallel to the coast," Arndell said.

"My reports that we are getting is that it is not on the coast at this stage and will most probably break up according to our maritime experts because of the light viscosity of the fuel itself."

Evironmentalists and nearby villagers have called for both the New Zealand and Sāmoan governments to ensure the impacts on the environment are small.

A resident from Tafitoala Village says that while they are aware the authorities are investigating what caused the HMNZS Manawanui to run aground, the villagers are concerned about the potential impacts on marine life.

"We heavily rely on the sea for our daily food and we are worried that oil from the sunken ship could cause damage to our marine resources," Sione Alemana said.

"We want the vessel removed as soon as possible because we fear a prolonged oil spill will affect the marine ecosystem."

Sāmoan officials are monitoring salvage works at the site of the sunken naval ship. Photo/SamoaTV1

Arndell says the experts are monitoring that, adding that navy teams are on the ground to respond to any reports of fuel along the coast or along the reef.

"What we're also doing today is we're getting the divers back out there to try and isolate the source of that leakage from the ship.

"What I can say to everybody is that the tanks, their integrity remains intact. What we're probably seeing is fuel, residual fuel in the pipes from the ship that are coming from somewhere alongside the hull.

"We've got maritime experts from Maritime New Zealand. We've got conservation experts on the ground.

"We've got a small Defence Force command element there to control the movement of kit and people in and out of Sāmoa. And they'll be breaking down into groups to help on the beach.

"We don't know how long this is going to take. We are not experts in this field and we've got salvers coming in to provide that assessment and then give us an indication at some stage what the recovery effort will look like."

The ship was carrying 950 tonnes of diesel at the time it hit the reef.

NZ Navy personnel in Sāmoa. Photo/supplied

There have been conflicting reports from both Sāmoa and New Zealand on the mishap.

"Look, it's very distressing for the people on the ground," Arndell told Terite. "We feel for you, and hence why we have flown in a bunch of experts from Maritime New Zealand. We've flown in Defence Force personnel.

"We've flown in spill kits and clean up kits and we are standing by ready to respond to any calls for assistance that the Samoan government may want.

"We're working really closely with them to make sure that we're there to respond and can respond as soon as anything's reported."

In his response to Arndell's interview posted on PMN 531pi Radio's Facebook page, former New Zealand Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, said, "You don't wait to be asked for help, that's not the way, especially when you are the cause of this environmental disaster.

"You get out there and speak with the local villagers council and help clean the mess up," Aupito commented.

Arndell said while a speedy cleanup of the oil spill is the focus for the Navy, they also want to get it right.

NZ Navy personnel head to the site of the stricken vessel. Photo/supplied

"We are out there today to try and isolate that and we're trying to minimise the impact and the damage in the environment and provide that reassurance to the Sāmoan authorities and the Sāmoan people that we're getting after it as fast as we can.

"We've got conservation people on the ground. They would be the ones that would be the best to be able to give the advice on any impacts that may occur.

"Our High Commission and our people on the ground are communicating with them on a daily basis, sharing information and making sure that what we are both seeing and hearing is collaborated and where they need our help we're getting out there as fast as we can to support them

"We are able to respond at the moment and we are throwing everything that we can towards this response. So at the moment no impact on our ability to be able to do the other tasks that the Government and the people of New Zealand need us to do.

"Anytime that you lose a ship, which for us of course is the first time since the Second World War, not so much embarrassing, more distressing and more sort of searching to understand how it could have happened.

"But that's why we've got a court of inquiry that's been stood up. And that's why we've got people on the ground here to try and help with collecting all the information that we can so that we can understand what's happened."

Arndell said the salvage operation in Sāmoa could take up to months or more to complete.

Watch Commander Shane Arndell's full interview below.