Navy starts hunt for toxic packs

The Navy is expected to mount a tricky retrieval operation off Northland's east coast today to recover hundreds of dangerous pods of a chemical fumigant.

Last night, the Navy vessel Manawanui sailed from Devonport for Marsden Point, where it was to pick up maritime hazard experts before heading out into the Poor Knights Islands area to prepare to retrieve the toxic packages.

A helicopter will be used to spot the packages and co-ordinate the Manawanui's operation.

A Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman said 40 packages, each with 10 dangerous pods, had been spotted yesterday by an RNZAF Orion and local boats, but none of the packages had been recovered.

The Orion had identified 25 packages within a 8km radius yesterday before deciding to expand the search area further out to sea.

The packages had green sludge on them, indicating they had been in the sea for at least a few days.

Authorities warn people may find the orange packs not to touch them and to report their presence to police or the Fire Service.

The pods contain magnesium phosphide and are bundled in groups of 10.

Police, fire and health authorities warn that the pods can give off extremely toxic fumes when combined with water and can spontaneously burst into flames when they dry out.

Inspector Paul Dimery, of Whangarei, said he was aware of only three packages coming ashore.

"This stuff's extremely toxic and very dangerous to humans.

"If people see one, a GPS co-ordinate would be great - but don't try to take it on board."

A pleasure boat and its three crew had to be decontaminated at Tutukaka wharf following contact with a package the crew found in the sea.

The Whangarei Fire Service stationed its Hazmat truck with a decontamination unit at Tutukaka at the weekend.

The packages and pods are used as wood and log fumigants in ships' holds.

Each package is about 150mm wide and about 2m long.

They were reported floating from Cape Brett at the entrance to the Bay of Islands in the north, to the Poor Knights Islands north of Whangarei.

Aucklander Greg Hurt, fishing on the boat Almacera south of the Poor Knights Islands yesterday, said they had seen six or seven packages, which looked like "a lot of wallets sewn together with a strip between each one.

"They're floating all over the place."

Authorities were not clear last night about the origin of the packages but a passing ship is suspected.

Representatives of the police, the Fire Service, the Northland Regional Council, the Navy, the Maritime Safety Authority, the Department of Conservation, OSH and Northland Health representatives met in Whangarei last night to discuss the situation.