On January 27, 2016, the Maltese-flagged passenger ship Azamara Quest, with a pilon on board, was en route to the port of Picton in New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds when it ran aground on a rock at the entrance to the Tory Channel, part of a typical inter-island route known for its particularly strong tides. There were no injuries among the 652 passengers and 394 crew on … [Read more...]
New Zealand Steps Up Climate Change Fight With Offshore Exploration Ban
By Tracy Withers (Bloomberg) -- New Zealand will stop granting offshore oil and gas exploration permits, saying it is committed to playing its part in tackling climate change. The government is taking “an important step to address climate change and create a clean, green and sustainable future for New Zealand,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday in … [Read more...]
Eight Survivors Recovered From Missing Kiribati Ferry
by Stephen Coates (Reuters) - New Zealand military planes on Monday were scouring a section of the Pacific Ocean for more survivors from the missing ferry MV Butiraoi after eight people were rescued from a dingy that was adrift for days. The survivors, including an unconscious teenage girl, were safely transferred to a nearby fishing vessel late on Sunday, Defence Force Air … [Read more...]
MV Rena Wreck No Longer a Hazard to Navigation
The wreck of the MV Rena on Astrolabe Reef no longer poses a hazard to navigation nearly four and a half years after the containership ran aground resulting in New Zealand's worst maritime environmental disaster. The news comes as Director of Maritime NZ withdrew two statutory notices that declared the wreck a hazard to navigation (under section 100A of the Maritime … [Read more...]
MV Rena Owner Allowed to Abandon Wreck
The owners of the MV Rena will be able to abandon what remains of the shipwreck on New Zealand's Astrolabe Reef but will need to pay for ongoing costs under a strict court order. The ruling was handed down Friday by panel of Commissioners following a five-week hearing that ended last October to determine whether Rena's owner, Diana Shipping, could abandon the remains of the … [Read more...]