Susana Lei'ataua in Samoa
The Manawanui caught fire and sank on Sunday morning after crashing into a reef on Saturday night. Photo: Profile Boats / supplied
Villages on the southwest coast of Upolu in Samoa are being told not to eat the fish from the ocean in front of their homes because the sunken HMNZS Manawanui is leaking diesel into their water.
The New Zealand Navy ship ran aground on Saturday on the Tafitoala Reef in treacherous high winds and seas.
The following morning it caught fire and sank.
The New Zealand Defence Force said 950 tonnes of diesel were on board when it went down.
The villages issued with a warning not to fish are Tafitoala, Mulivai and parts of Si'umu that are within a 20km length of coastline from the districts of Safata to Lefaga.
Divers trying to seal three diesel leaks on HMNZS Manawanui
Samoa authorities have been going from village to village meeting with people to hear their experiences and give out information about the sunken Manawanui and the resulting damage to the reef.
"What we will tell people is to refrain from fishing there for the moment as all the testing is being carried out." said Fui Tupai Mau Simanu, the chair of Samoa's Maritime Pollution Advisory Committee.
"Just because there's no oil washing on the shores doesn't mean that the water is not contaminated."
Samoa's Marine Pollution Advisory Committee met with New Zealand Defence Force and Maritime officials on Thursday morning.
Fui Tupai Mau Simanu, the chair of Samoa's Marine Pollution Advisory Committee. Photo: RNZ / Louise Ternouth
In an about-face from earlier statements, officials confirmed there were three leaks of diesel on the Manawanui's underside.
"We want to contain the fuel not to leak out to the sea anymore but ultimately, we want to extract all the fuel as well as the waste material that's there on the boat," Fui said.
The primary area of damage around the Tafitoala Reef is approximately 5000 square metres.
Divers from New Zealand and Samoa have completed four dives in as many days to assess the extent of the diesel leaking from three separate areas on the Manawanui.
Samoa's authorities are continuing a daily sweep of the 20km of coastline from Safata to Lefaga and the lagoon for any signs of contamination and debris.
"It's the south to the southwest because that is where the tides drift, and that particular side of the island it goes west and now we've looked at the models that have been provided by Maritime New Zealand as well and the models confirmed that it's going that way," Fui said.