Several government agencies and four skimmer vessels were called in after the Tom Tough struck the Korean-owned, Panamanian-registered bulk coal carrier Global Peace, holing its fuel tank as it was about to berth. Boats have been damaged and birds and mangroves affected after a violent storm pushed the oil slick off the coast into a marina. "It'll just annihilate the stocks plus everything up and down the food chain in relation to what the different fishermen catch," local fishing spokesman Warwick Sheldon said. "It's right in the middle of the commercial banana prawn fishing season at the moment – this has the potential to just wipe out their stocks." Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said an investigation was under way to determine whether anyone would be prosecuted. "There will be no cost to the taxpayer because of the law," he said. The clean-up costs will be met by the ship's owners in accordance with international maritime law. A marine investigator from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating how the tug rammed into a Korean bulk carrier and ruptured its fuel tank . Investigation leader Peter Foley says the type of oil involved has added to problem. "It's certainly more difficult to control than perhaps crude oil because it tends to be around the same specific gravity or same density as sea water," he said.
Several government agencies and four skimmer vessels were called in after the "Tom Tough" struck the Korean-owned, Panamanian-registered bulk coal carrier "Global Peace" - puncturing its fuel tank as it was about to berth. "It'll just annihilate the stocks plus everything up and down the food chain in relation to what the different fishermen catch," local fishing spokesman Warwick Sheldon said. "It's right in the middle of the commercial banana prawn fishing season at the moment – this has the potential to just wipe out their stocks." Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said an investigation was under way to determine whether anyone would be prosecuted. "There will be no cost to the taxpayer because of the law," he said. The clean-up costs will be met by the ship's owners in accordance with international maritime law. A marine investigator from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating the incident . Investigation leader Peter Foley says the type of oil involved has added to problem. "It's certainly more difficult to control than perhaps crude oil because it tends to be around the same specific gravity or same density as sea water," he said.
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Tom Tough
"Tom Tough"
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Global Peace, holing
"Global Peace" - puncturing
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Boats have been damaged and birds and mangroves affected after a violent storm pushed the oil slick off the coast into a marina.
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how the tug rammed into a Korean bulk carrier and ruptured its fuel tank
the incident