SYDNEY, Australia — A Chinese coal carrier rocked back and forth over a section of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef after running aground, inflicting a gash three kilometres long into a shoal that will take 20 years to heal. A leading marine scientist called it the worst damage he’s ever seen to the world’s largest coral reef.
The Shen Neng 1 veered into protected waters and ran aground on Douglas Shoal on April 3, immediately leaking up to three tonnes of fuel when coral shredded its hull.
The 230-metre ship was successfully lifted off the reef Monday after crews spent three days pumping fuel to lighten it. Salvage crews later towed it to an anchorage area near Great Keppel Island, 70 kilometres away.
Its refloating left a scar three kilometres long and up to 250 metres wide.
“There is more damage to this reef than I have ever seen in any previous Great Barrier Reef groundings,” scientist David Wachenfeld told reporters Tuesday.
The oil that first leaked from the hull was quickly dispersed by chemical sprays and is believed to have caused little or no damage. Small amounts of oil, however, have begun washing up on beaches near where the ship ran aground, according to Maritime Safety Queensland.
The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage site because of its gleaming waters and environmental value as home to thousands of marine species. The accident occurred in the southern tip of the reef, which is not the main tourism hub.
The reef was hit particularly badly because the vessel did not stay in one place once it grounded, Wachenfeld said. Instead, tides and currents pushed it along the reef, crushing and smearing potentially toxic paint onto coral and plants, he said.
In some areas, “all marine life has been completely flattened and the structure of the shoal has been pulverized by the weight of the vessel,” Wachenfeld said, speaking of the fragile coral and the plants and fish that may have inhabited the area.
Even if severe toxic contamination is not found at the site, initial assessments by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority indicate it could take 20 years for the coral reef to recover, Wachenfeld.
Perhaps most concerning to the scientists is the chemical makeup of the paint used on the ship’s hull, which divers have found spread across the vast majority of the impacted region.
Many oceangoing vessels are covered in what is known as “anti-fouling” paint, which prevents marine life from growing on their hulls and creating drag. Certain paints contain chemicals that prevent such growth, while others simply act as a barrier.
Scientists with the reef authority plan to analyze paint left by the Shen Neng to see if it contains heavy metals. If it does, Wachenfeld said, it would not only kill the marine life on the shoal, but prevent new life from colonizing there.
It will be at least another week before the full extent of the damage is known.
Australian authorities are investigating alleged breaches of law connected with the accident. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has since warned that cargo ships entering restricted waters would face the full force of the law.
The ship’s owners, Shenzen Energy Transport, said last week they were co-operating with the investigation. They said the ship was travelling through a legal channel when it inexplicably failed to turn eastward to avoid Douglas Shoal.
The grounding forced a review of shipping regulations in the fragile area. Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh vowed Monday to sharply increase penalties on ships causing oil spills.
Bligh said the maximum penalty for corporations would increase from 1.75 million Australian dollars AU$10 million, and individuals would face fines of AU$500,000 — up from AU$350,000.
The proposed new penalties are the latest sign that authorities are serious about stepping up protection of the delicate reef.
On Monday, three crewmen from another boat that allegedly entered restricted reef waters April 4 were charged with entering a prohibited zone without permission. The South Korean master and two Vietnamese officers of the Panama-flagged coal boat, MV Mimosa, were granted bail and ordered to reappear Friday. They face maximum fines of AU$220,000 Australian.