Bad weather restricts oil cleanup in Banks Peninsula

Image supplied: Shell Bay. Environment Canterbury.

Unfavourable weather is restricting the clean up of an oil spill in Shell Bay, Banks Peninsula.

However, an update on the Environment Canterbury website said, “Aerial observations are showing very little oil on the water today. Any diesel in the water is likely to quickly disperse with wave action.”

Austro Carina, a 25-metre fishing vessel owned and operated by Lyttelton-based Pegasus Fishing Limited, ran aground at Red Bluff on the south coast of Banks Peninsula on Sunday.

All four crew were recovered by helicopter on Sunday between 9pm and 10pm.
  
ECan is surveying the area daily by drone to assess the vessel stability, release of fuel and oil, and any impacts on the environment and wildlife.

“There is still some debris in the surrounding water around the south coast of Banks Peninsula, particularly around the Shell Bay area. We are asking boat owners to avoid the area,” the ECan update said.

“There is no indication that wildlife has been impacted yet, but our team are preparing a wildlife response plan that includes recovery and rehabilitation options,” the update continued.