Fed: Crew can feel ship breaking up, says marine expert

AAP General News (Australia)
04-05-2010
Fed: Crew can feel ship breaking up, says marine expert

SYDNEY, April 5 AAP - Crew onboard a stricken coal carrier leaking oil in the Great
Barrier Reef Marine Park can feel the ship breaking up under their feet, a marine expert
says.

Paul Burt said the Chinese-registered Shen Neng 1 - with 950 tonnes of heavy fuel oil
and 65,000 tonnes of coal on board - was so badly damaged there was a risk it would break
apart, causing a major catastrophe.

Authorities are battling to salvage the bulk coal carrier, which is stuck on a shoal
and leaking oil 70 kilometres east of Great Keppel Island.

An oil leak three kilometres long and 100 metres wide has spilt from the vessel since
it ran aground late Saturday afternoon.

"Basically the whole port side of the ship is structurally damaged quite badly so there
is a chance of it breaking up," Mr Burt told the Nine Network on Monday morning.

"Also the crew onboard are also saying they can feel the ship breaking up below their feet."

He said if the vessel does break up, it'll be a major disaster - for marine life and
the World Heritage-listed reef.

"... As of about five o'clock last night, there was about two tonnes of oil that have
been leaked from the ship. As to what happened last night we are totally unaware although
planes are on the scene right now.

"If it does break up, it's going to cause a major catastrophe, more than what it is
already. And, of course, it will have a major impact, not only on local marine life but
the Great Barrier Reef itself."

He said he would like to see the oil and coal removed from the vessel.

"We can look at pumping the oil out. That's the first thing I'd personally be looking at doing.

"Trying to remove the coal, trying to remove the laden, take the weight off the ship itself.

"It is a high impact crash onto the reef.

"These boats can move at well over 20 nautical miles an hour, which is a fair lump
when you are talking (about a ship that's) nearly a quarter of a kilometre long."

Responding to federal opposition calls for Defence to be called in, Mr Burt said he
did not know what they could do at the moment.

But, he said, questions needed to be answered.

"The vessel ... is approximately 30 kilometres off course. It is in a restricted zone.

These ships generally have pilots on them when they enter the Great Barrier Reef zone
when they come in to enter port.

"Queensland is littered with ports, for coal and of course oil ... and for sugar as
well. So, anyone who does venture in those areas generally has a pilot put on board, an
Australia pilot.

"This ship did not have a pilot and (was) way off course, so I think there's going
to be a lot of answers waiting, wanting to come forward out of this one."

AAP cdh/cjb

KEYWORD: CARRIER EXPERT

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