The owner and insurer of a bulk carrier have offered their “sincere apology” to the Solomon Islands after it ran aground four weeks ago, spilling 80 tonnes of toxic oil into the pristine waters of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site.
Hong Kong-based King Trader and insurer Korea Protection and Indemnity Club (Korea P&I) said it was “totally unacceptable” and “expressed deep remorse” in a statement.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne expressed her concern over the slow response to the major oil spill in Solomon Islands, as the clean-up operation belatedly gets underway and 600 tonnes of oil remain on the vessel.
The Solomon Trader oil spill in Rennell in the Solomon Islands. Source: Solomon Star/Carlos Aruafu
MV Solomon Trader hit a reef while loading bauxite on the remote island of Rennell during tropical cyclone Oma and has been classified as a write-off.
The company's statement said weather conditions, poor infrastructure and remote location all caused delays in responding to the oil spill, adding “reports crew being absent from the vessel or intoxicated at the time of the grounding are false” and “matters of liability are yet to be determined”.
Solomon Islands is not a signatory to two international treaties which underwrite the clean up and wreck removal for ship owners and insurers, leaving the impoverished country exposed some or all of the costs.
The Solomon Trader grounded on a reef during Cyclone Oma while collecting bauxite ore from remote Rennell Island. Source: AAP
Australia responded to a plea from Solomon Islands care-taker prime minister Rick Hou for help with the unprecedented event under the PACPOL regional assistance agreement for oil spills.
“Australia is very concerned about the impact of a significant oil spill from the vessel in the Solomon Islands, it’s an important environmental area and anyone who has seen it would recognise that,” Senator Payne told SBS.
“The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is working closely with the Solomon Islands government in terms of removing surface oil and taking other measures to stop the oil spreading further.”
Senator Payne expressed frustration over the slow pace of the clean-up and salvage by the ship owner and insurer.
“We have been working with the government of Solomon Islands and most importantly urging the companies to address the oil spill and remedy it as soon as possible,” she said.
“Access (to the remote location) and making sure the companies are taking responsibility for their actions are the most important aspects of this.”
The Bintan Mining Corporation bauxite mine on Rennell, Solomon Islands. Source: Jonathan Danitofea
Rennell is the largest raise coral atoll in the world, with the largest fresh water lagoon in the Pacific, and is home to many unique animal species. It is also home to about 2000 people.
The spill has been front page news in the impoverished Pacific nation headlined as “Big Disaster”.
Director of the Solomon Islands Disaster Management Office Loti Yates told Radio New Zealand Pacific the response is finally underway.
"Everything is moving, but the actual extracting the oil of the ship has not started,” he said.
“But containing the flow, they've set down the booms and everything that will avoid devastation from what oil is still coming out, that is being done."
Salvage crews from the Hong Kong ship owner are on site.
Professor Forrest has run PACPOL workshops with AMSA for Pacific nations to explain treaty benefits and fears Solomon Islands non-membership may explain the slow response.
“The problem with this vessel is there is no financial security behind this vessel,” he said.
“The real difficulty is this, if you can’t get the ship owner to pay, and you can’t get directly action the insurer, then liability can only fall to the Solomon Islands and anyone wanting to assist,” he said.
