Oil spill in Samoa

An oil spill occurred in the Tafitoala reef, the southern coast of the Upolu Island, Samoa on 05 October.

The Royal New Zealand Navy ship, HMNZS Manawanui, hit the reef and caught fire, leaking 200,000 litres of diesel into the waters, covering a region of 5,000 square metres. There was also substantial damage to the coral reef.

It was reported that oil agitated at the surface due to wave and wind energy, and the chemical components included highly toxic heavy metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Three shipping containers that came off the sunken ship will be removed from the reef. A salvage team is scheduled to arrive in Samoa in two weeks' time to remove the 950 tonnes of diesel from the HMNZS Manawanui's hull.

As the reef is home to a vast variety of marine life, there are concerns about how this will impact their habitat. Fishermen on the southern coast of Samoa have been told to discard fish covered in oil. Reports indicate that the community is starting to feel the effects of not being able to rely on marine life for their daily food source and income.