Rena oil spill
The Department of Conservation is supporting the clean up and recovery of the cargo vessel 'Rena' that is stricken on Astrolabe Reef and leaking oil, 12 miles off the port of Tauranga.
The incident response is being led by Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) which has established an Incident Management Team and is working closely with other agencies as part of a fully coordinated government approach to dealing with the issue.
DOC staff from around the country have been deployed to Tauranga to help with the crisis. DOC is also providing support to the Oiled Wildlife Facility operated by Massey University, and is assisting with planning and logistics from inside the MNZ control team.
Specialist teams, along with many community volunteers, are sweeping beaches and nearby islands to identify vulnerable wildlife and recover affected birds and animals. Affected wildlife are being taken to Recovery Centres for treatment.
A specialist seal handling team has been formed and another team is taking preemptive steps to prevent the oiling of threatened populations living in the region.
Regular updates, including wildlife and environment updates, are available on: