Council monitoring salvage of beached trawler – Fletcher Bay

Waikato Regional Council is monitoring the salvage of a fishing trawler beached at Fletcher Bay, at the top of the Coromandel Peninsula.

The council’s Marine Oil Spill Response team has been told the 50-foot (15-metre) wooden vessel began taking on water about 9.30pm yesterday and, for safety reasons, was beached. The skipper and crew were uninjured.

Waikato Regional Council was advised of the beached trawler around 10.45am today, with Whitianga-based Maritime Services staff arriving at the remote Fletcher Bay about 12 noon.

Up to 2500 litres of marine diesel and 80 litres of hydraulic fluid was on board the vessel, with salvors arranging for a contractor to pump it from the tanks this evening.

The council’s Regional On Scene Commander Derek Hartley has been liaising with the trawler’s owner and salvors – employed by the vessel’s insurers.

“I have been reassured by the salvors they have mitigations in place to prevent any fuel being spilt during the operation and the good news is that, so far, no fuel has escaped into the environment,” Mr Hartley said.

Salvors have indicated they plan to undertake temporary repairs to the hull. They’ll then refloat the trawler on a high tide and tow it to Leigh for repair.

The ROSC will continue to monitor the situation until the trawler is removed.

An investigation into the incident is being undertaken by Maritime New Zealand.