Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa says that the wreck of the Royal New Zealand Navy survey ship HMNZS Manawanui can remain where it has sunk, after she acknowledged that the vessel has become part of the surrounding marine environment.
Speaking to New Zealand’s 1News, Mata’afa said all “toxic elements” on board Manawanui have since been removed, and the vessel has become, “an additional part…of the reef,” where it ran aground and capsized in 30 meters of water off Upolu on October 5, 2024.
Local authorities have declared the waters surrounding the wreck as a “no-go” zone, preventing fishing and other activities from being undertaken there.
Although local fishermen have commended the work to remove toxic onboard material from the wreck, they said the presence of the vessel continues to impact their livelihood.
One fisherman has complained that there had been “no accountability,” and that compensation had not been provided to him or his fellow fishers to mitigate losses they suffered due to their inability to access the waters now occupied by the sunken Manawanui.
The New Zealand Defense Force has meanwhile assured that analyses of the vessel and the surrounding area are still ongoing, to help the Samoan and New Zealand Governments in determining future decisions regarding the disposition of the wreck and the environment.
