Samoan villagers demand compensation for sinking of New Zealand navy ship

Residents of several coastal villages in Samoa say their livelihoods have been destroyed and they deserve compensation after a New Zealand navy ship sank on a nearby reef on October 5.

The diving and survey vessel HMNZS Manawanui struck the reef while carrying out a hydrographic survey approximately one nautical mile offshore. It now lies on its side on the sea floor, 30 meters deep, in a marine reserve near the village of Tafitoala, on the south coast of Upolu, Samoa’s most populous island.

Manawanui sailing in formation with other ships during Exercise RIMPAC 2020 (Photo: Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Wesley Richardson)

The sinking has sparked concerns of an impending ecological disaster. The area around the wreck remained closed as authorities, including 60 members of the New Zealand Defense Force, monitor potential environmental hazards. Samoa’s Marine Pollution Advisory Committee (MPAC) has confirmed that approximately 200,000 liters of fuel have so far leaked from the ship, while 950 tonnes of marine oil remains in the ship’s tanks.

New Zealand authorities have claimed that escaping fuel will evaporate quickly, but there is growing evidence that marine life is being contaminated. According to the Samoa Observer On October 11, fishermen in Safata Bay were ordered to throw away oil-covered fish from the “huge leak.” MPAC said 5,000 square meters of coral reef were already damaged.

A senior matai (chief), Tuia Paepae Letoa, said wind and current carried the oil to the villages and seawater carried it into the mangrove reserve. “This is a very serious problem for the district… not only is it damaging our livelihoods, damaging the reef and the coast, but it is also extending to our other reserves that we depend on,” he said. he warned.

Fisherman Fatu Totua told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that he and his son would typically earn 200 Samoan talas (A$108) a day selling their catch. “Right now, we cannot afford to earn a living for our family because we depend on the sea,” he said.

According to the Tutorthe villagers were to call a meeting to discuss the impact of the damage and demand compensation. They accused their own government of minimizing the damage. “This will continually affect this generation and future generations…we must act,” Letoa said.

Others told Tutor they were furious that the shipwreck had occurred. “You can smell the diesel, they destroyed our reef. I grew up on this reef all my life and they shouldn’t have hit it there, under any circumstances,” said Manu Percival, a surf guide. “Because we are a poor developing country, they don’t care. It’s disgusting, especially since New Zealand has caused so much historic damage to Samoa,” he said.

Efforts to prevent even more widespread pollution are being “scaled back” this week at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit (CHOGM) hosted by Samoa and attended by King Charles III of the United Kingdom. Samoan Prime Minister Fiamē Mata’afa said diving and coastal operations around the wreck would be “suspended” until next weekend.

New Zealand has no timetable for removing the ship’s diesel or any salvage attempts. Experts say it is crucial to remove the fuel before the hurricane season that begins in November, which could cause the ship to move or break up. THE Tutor quoted Nick Ling, professor of biodiversity and ecology at the University of Waikato, who said: “It (diesel) can reach the reef, it can cover seabirds and marine mammals, turtles and sea serpents.”

Speaking on New Zealand television, Defense Minister Judith Collins played down concerns, saying there was “a small trickle” of oil from the wreck. She categorically said: “Any oil that comes out is obviously worrying for people but we know it hasn’t made it to the beaches. It’s a small amount that we can see. When asked why Samoa’s explanations were different from those of the New Zealand authorities, Collins replied: “I don’t know.”

The Manawanui ran aground at 6:46 p.m. in the evening in seas described as “rough” and attempted, unsuccessfully, to leave the reef. She quickly began to list and caught fire, probably from an oil leak in the engine room. At 7:52 p.m., Commander Yvonne Gray evacuated the ship as it began to sink. All 75 people on board abandoned ship in life rafts and were rescued by Samoa Fire and Emergency Services.

Neither the head of New Zealand’s navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, nor Collins would comment on the possible causes of the sinking – the first time the navy had lost a ship since World War II.

Collins initially rejected Samoa’s demands for an apology, saying: “We are obviously deeply traumatized. Frankly, our navy has gone through a very difficult time. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon later issued a formal apology to Apia.

The Defense Ministry will conduct an internal investigation into the sinking. Iati Iati, an academic at Victoria University of Wellington, told Tutor: “If New Zealand is to preserve any hope of being an honest broker in this region, it must avoid steps that would make this seem like a cover-up. New Zealand has significantly compromised the security of another country.”

What is known is that the ship was not fit for purpose. It was purchased second-hand by the Labor Party-led government in 2017, on the advice of Defense Minister Ron Mark, an MP for the NZ First Party. As the Navy faced financial difficulties, Mark canceled the purchase of an Army-specific vessel in favor of a used vessel. The MV Edda Fonn was a fifteen-year-old civilian workhorse used in the North Sea oil and gas industry. It did not meet basic naval specifications, particularly in terms of the crucial maneuverability required for its new role.

The sinking will undoubtedly be used to reinforce demands for a major increase in military spending. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, visiting Wellington in August, said the US and Australia had “encouraged” New Zealand to invest more in its armed forces, particularly in patrols and policing the Pacific. “We think the maritime domain is important and we think it’s an area where New Zealand’s contributions are natural,” Campbell said.

The loss of the ship served to undermine Luxon’s boasts that New Zealand is ready to play a key “force multiplier” role in supporting the United States and Australia in their war campaign against China. The navy faced many difficulties with ships idled due to problems with recruitment and retention of personnel. Of the Navy’s remaining eight ships, five are currently operational.

Australian defense academic Jennifer Parker, writing in the Financial review used the sinking to declare that it “should be a wake-up call to Australia and New Zealand”. Parker said: “Regional tensions are increasing and our naval forces are likely to be at the forefront of any confrontation. The ability to prevail in such a conflict depends not only on large warships and submarines, but also on the capabilities that underpin maritime operations…”

Regardless, the case is shaping up to be yet another incident in New Zealand’s litany of crimes and mistreatment of Samoa. The islands were a colony of New Zealand from 1914 to 1962, a period which left a legacy of poverty and economic backwardness. New Zealand still maintains neocolonial domination over Samoa, Tonga and other poor Pacific countries, which rely heavily on foreign aid to fund their public services.

New Zealand is directly responsible for significant outbreaks of measles and influenza in Samoa, including the 1918 influenza pandemic which killed 8,500 people, a fifth of the population. In 2019, a measles outbreak spread to Samoa from Auckland, resulting in 5,700 cases and 83 deaths. Samoans bitterly refer to the Black Saturday shootings of 1929, when New Zealand police killed 11 Mau independence protesters.

New Zealand’s primary concern in the Pacific is not the health and well-being of local populations, but rather asserting its place as a minor imperialist power and aligning fragile Pacific states behind the confrontation aggressive from Washington with China. While the entire region is placed on a war footing, the concerns of the populations of the Pacific regarding their delicate and threatened environment are swept aside by local authorities.

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