17 February 2012 - 12.00pm

Good progress is currently being made by salvors in removing containers and debris from Rena.

Salvage

• Fifteen containers (8 yesterday and 7 on Wednesday) have been removed from the aft section of Rena.
• One refrigerated container which had earlier been cut up has been discharged on to the ST60
• The crane barge Smit Borneo is positioned off the port side of Rena, secured with wire ropes.
• Work has been continuing this week on removing containers from the aft section of Rena. Salvors have also removed the last two refrigerated containers from the forward section of Rena.
• Helicopter operations, removing cut up pieces of containers, are continuing.
• Dive operations will continue around the submerged stern section of the wreck.
• There are currently north east winds of around 15 knots out at the Astrolabe Reef – these are forecast to reduce through today and tomorrow.

Container and debris recovery

• In total, 514 containers have been recovered from Rena by salvors and processed ashore by Braemar Howells. A further 70 containers have been recovered from land and sea by Braemar Howells teams, making the total ashore now 584.
• A Braemar Howells recovery team is removing the last of the steel container pieces from Bowentown today.
• 70 bags of fish product have been brought ashore from Rena and will be taken to the Waikato Landfill for disposal.
• More wood is being lifted from Matakana Island via helicopter today.
• Two vessels are continuing sonar sweeps of the sea floor for missing containers.

Oil spill response

• Oil spill response clean-up teams are working on Matakana Island and Mount Maunganui today. National On Scene Commander Mick Courtnell said only one shelly beach area on the Mount still required cleaning.
• A clean-up operation will begin on Motiti Island on Monday – an oil spill response team of 16 will be deployed early Monday morning to work through to the following Saturday.
• Seven penguins were released near Motiti Island today – these penguins will be observed today and tomorrow and then the wildlife team on Motiti Island will leave the island.