Coast council looking for fuel spill after boat sinks
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The sinking of the ex-fishing trawler Grace yesterday and any associated risk of fuel spill was not notified to the West Coast Regional Council today.
The fishing boat sank at its moorings at the Greymouth Fisherman's Wharf, on the Blaketown Lagoon, yesterday.
Acting consents and compliance manager Rachel Clark said the first they knew of the sinking was when they were contacted by the media.
Port of Greymouth manager Franco Horridge was in Christchurch today.
Clark said the council would usually be alerted by the port management of any sinking so they could dispatch environmental monitoring staff to assess any risk.
"Fuel would be a concern. Generally the harbour, if it was only a small spill, would deal with it."
Owner David Coakley told the Greymouth Star today that he learned of the boat's watery fate last evening, and was today waiting for low tide to begin the retrieval.
That would involve straightening it, fixing the holes in the vessel and pumping it out.
Coakley has owned the Grace since 1989.
"It's fished out of a lot of ports in the South Island," he said.
At 1pm the regional council said staff visiting the site, about midday, found "no major spill".
"A precautionary containment boom has been deployed around the vessel and will be maintained until it is salvaged," Clark said.
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air.
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A reminder this hunting season
As thousands of hunters are making their plans for autumn – the Roar – recreational firearms groups are urging hunters to always be 100% sure of their targets.
Te Tari Pureke - Firearms Safety Authority NZ, which chairs the Recreational Firearms Users Group, has begun a public information campaign reminding hunters everywhere of Rule #4 of the Firearms Safety Code: to identify their target beyond all doubt.
Director Communities and Corporate, Mike McIlraith, says there is an estimated 50,000-60,000 New Zealanders involved in big game animal hunting each year, and the Roar is the key event for many hunters each year.
“The Roar is a fantastic time of year for hunters to get out into the hills after a trophy animal but hunting safely and making sure everyone gets home in one piece, still must be the most important goal of every trip,” says Mike McIlraith.
“The consequences of not fully identifying your target beyond all doubt can be catastrophic. Our message to hunters is a really simple one: If you are not sure, then don’t shoot.”
Mike McIlraith says while hunting fatalities are thankfully rare, research has shown that misidentification of the target is the largest firearms related risk to New Zealand deer hunters, and 80% of the time this involves members of the same hunting group.
The Authority says hunters should not feel pressured to take a shot: “Instead, hunters should take the time to analyse their target, wait and see if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how many points does its antlers have? Identifying your target means never firing at sound, shape, colour or movement alone.”
Mike McIlraith says good hunters will slow down, and run through some simple mental checks:
- Can I see the whole animal, or could this be another hunter?
- Where are my hunting companions – could this be them or someone else?
- How much of the animal can you see, if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how - many points does its antlers have?
“Taking a little extra time to identify your target and check the firing zone is the key to safer hunting. No meat or no trophy is better than no mate,” he says.
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