Salvage Barge start 10-day tow to assist HMNZS Manawanui clean up

Apia, Samoa – 25 November 2024 – Concrete work to remove fuel and other pollutants from the sunken HMNZS Manawanui of the coast of Upolu Island is expected to start when a barge carrying salvage crew and equipment arrives in Samoa.

The barge and crew begins its journey to Samoa this week, and will be towed behind an ocean-going tug for the 10-11-day journey and will assist in the clean-up caused by the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui on 6 October.

However, the New Zealand Defence Force warned the mission could take longer if sea and weather conditions were rough.

Commodore Andrew Brown said salvage companies had received “multi-agency support” by Maritime New Zealand prior to departure.

“Specialist engineering and dive personnel” had also been provided to salvors ahead of the journey.

“It’s important that as we enter this next phase of the operation we have the right people in the right place to assist the salvors in this highly technical and complex phase of fuel removal,” Brown said.

Once in the capital Apia, salvors will spend several days working through approvals and permissions from the Samoan Government before work can begin.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Defence Force has received the Court of Inquiry interim report into the sinking.

It said it would make the findings available to the public in late November, but the final report would have “fuller context of why the incident occurred and lessons to be learnt.”