The Manahau's crew are seen aboard the barge during its grounding at Carters Beach. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
The Maritime Union says it has concerns for the foreign seafarers onboard the Manahau, having been unable to check on the crew's welfare since the boat arrived in Nelson three days ago.
The barge, owned by Westland Mineral Sands, ran aground at Carters Beach near Westport in a storm 10 days ago.
It was refloated six days later and towed from the West Coast around Farewell Spit and into Tasman Bay by the offshore towing/support vessel MMA Vision, before being brought into Port Nelson on Sunday morning by the tug Kurutai.
A Westland Mineral Sands spokesperson said the welfare of the Indonesian/Burmese crew onboard the Manahau was its highest priority - and a protection order in place prevented anyone boarding the vessel without the approval of the authorities.
Maritime Union of New Zealand national secretary Carl Findlay said the union had been "given the run around" and told it could not board the vessel to check on the crew.
He said the union was "very concerned" about those working on the Manahau, given the information that was being shared with them about the vessel and its operations.
Findlay said the union had a duty to look after the welfare of international seafarers working and trading around New Zealand's coastline.
It is part of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), which represents over one million seafarers across more than 100 countries.
"Our ITF-trained contact is very skilled at talking to these seafarers to find out what is actually going on, because a lot of these guys are very scared to speak out in front of the employer or other management."
The Manahau grounded at Carters Beach near Westport. Photo: Lee Scanlon / Westport News
Union staff had been prevented from going on board to talk to the crew since its arrival in Nelson, Findlay said.
"We've heard that there were 11 Indonesian crew, and six are off now, there are only five that brought it and we can't understand for the life of us why they would prevent us from coming onboard to support these guys and do our own investigation, unless they have something to hide."
The union had engaged a lawyer and would be writing to the company and all the other parties involved, he said.
The union maintained that coastal shipping between Westport and Nelson was viable, but the Manahau had not been a suitable vessel for the job.
"Fortunately, no one has been hurt, but this could have been a real terrible maritime disaster and we have avoided that, but we need to make sure this doesn't happen again."
The Westland Mineral Sands spokesperson said the Manahau was now being crewed on a rotational basis with accommodation and support services provided for the crew onshore.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) protection order prevented anyone boarding the vessel without the approval of the authorities, they said.
The TAIC opened an inquiry into the stranding of the barge last week.
The Manahau barge is now detained at Port Nelson after being towed more than 300 kilometres from Westport. It was refloated last Friday after grounding on Carters Beach just before midnight on the previous Saturday. Photo: Port Nelson webcam
A TAIC spokesperson said the protection order did not apply to the master, or any other person, from taking any necessary actions to ensure the safety of the vessel, environment and/or people on board.
It was unlikely TAIC investigators had told union staff they were unable to board the Manahau to check on the crew, the spokesperson said.
The Chief Investigator of Accidents had written to all interested parties, to ensure everyone had a correct shared understanding of the intent and meaning of the protection order.
TAIC investigators remained in Nelson as part of the investigation into the Manahau's grounding.
Westland Mineral Sands said the crew all had visas allowing them to work in New Zealand, they were on individual employment agreements and remained fully employed.
The vessel had been surveyed for damage by its classification society, RINA, and repairs were underway.
The spokesperson said the vessel was Niuean-flagged after consultation with its Singapore shipping partners who were familiar with the flag state. It did not consider the decision to be a compromise on quality.
Associate Minister of Transport Matt Doocey said foreign-flagged vessels did not require Maritime NZ's approval to come to New Zealand and operate here.
"The Manahau is flagged to Niue, therefore that's where it's registered. Niue approves and certifies the vessel, the crew and the safety management plan."
Foreign-flagged vessels were required to comply with their flag state's requirements and international conventions, as well as national and local navigational safety requirements when operating around New Zealand's coast.
Doocey said international ships played a valuable role in delivering cargo around the New Zealand coast and were critical for the country's supply chains.
"I am advised requiring these ships to be New Zealand-flagged would disrupt cargo movement and increase costs of imports and exports to and from New Zealand."
With the Manahau out of action, Westland Mineral Sands would begin trucking 15,000 tonnes of product to Nelson, for shipping to China on Friday.
It said mineral sand would continue to be shipped from Nelson until the Manahau returned to service.
A Maritime NZ spokesperson said the Manahau remained detained in Port Nelson for safety reasons and its release would depend on the operator's plans for its repair.
Repairs could be carried out while the vessel was under detention, as long as they did not interfere with investigations by Maritime NZ or TAIC.
The repairs would need to be certified by its Classification Society (RINA) and flag state (Niue) before it could be released from detention. Maritime NZ would also inspect the vessel, with any deficiencies identified to be satisfactorily repaired before it could be released.
The cause of the grounding has yet to be identified.