Oil spill reported off coast of Banks Peninsula

Canterbury Regional Council said initial aerial observations showed oil was spilling towards Shell Bay. Photo / Google Maps

By RNZ

The Canterbury Regional Council is responding to an oil spill from a fishing vessel that ran aground on the south coast of Banks Peninsula.

It said all four crew were recovered by helicopter on Sunday night.

The fishing vessel, which was aground at Red Bluff, had about 10,000 litres of diesel and 400 litres of hydraulic oil on board.

The regional council said initial aerial observations showed oil was spilling towards Shell Bay and neighbouring bays, but it could not yet say how much.

Shell Bay was home to endangered wildlife, including the yellow-eyed penguin and the spotted shag.

The regional council said it was assessing the situation and response options to safely minimise the impact of oil and debris on the environment.

Regional on-scene commander Emma Parr said the current conditions were “extremely challenging and unsafe” due to the coastline and forecasted weather.

“We are currently monitoring the situation and working with DoC with guidance from Massey University to initiate a wildlife response,” she said.

Boaties had been asked to avoid the area.