Hawke’s Bay Regional Council marine oil spill response team were alerted to a large oil spill on Monday and, on a second air patrol flight to search for the spill, discovered a missing jet ski. On Monday, Maritime New Zealand received a report of a large oil spill approximately 13 nautical miles off the coast between Kairakau and Blackhead. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council used a Coastguard Air Patrol to search for the oil on Monday afternoon, but were unable to find the oil. Maritime New Zealand requested a second flight on Tuesday, but still there was no sight of the spill and the Council would like to hear from anyone who has seen it. “The skipper who sighted it estimated the oil slick was about 2 kilometres square, which is quite sizable and of concern, and we would like to trace the oil if we can,” said Bryce Lawrence, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Manager - Compliance & Pollution Response. Instead, the Council staff on the second Coastguard flight spotted a capsized vessel in the water about 21 nautical miles offshore. During a third flight at 6 pm Tuesday night the Coastguard, working with the Rescue Co-ordination centre of New Zealand, was able to direct a ship in the area to pick the vessel up. They retrieved a jetski which had been lost on 1 January at Herbertville approximately 40 nautical miles southwest. The reported oil spill was too large to have been related to the jetski. “The Coastguard air patrol was a great help and adds to the Regional Council’s ability to take action on reported oil spills in our oceans. The new technology being used for search planning and navigation proved to be invaluable in ensuring the search zone was effectively searched. But without finding the oil slick we have no way of tracing any offender so would appreciate any further information,” Mr Lawrence said. |