A cargo vessel operated by a Hong Kong-based company is now spilling tons of oil onto a world heritage marine sanctuary in the Solomon Island. The vessel, operated by King Trader Ltd, reportedly crashed into a reef at Rennell Island early last month. According to local media reports, over 75 tons of heavy fuel oil has already spilled into the sea, causing havoc to the area reaching several kilometers from the crash site.
The vessel, called the Solomon Trader, was forced into the sharp reefs due to Cyclone Oma, which hit the area last month. Rennell Island is considered to have the world's largest raised coral atoll, which is a naturally occurring ring-shaped coral reef formation. The island is home to a unique eco-system with a large lake, dense forests, and a marine ecology that has dozens of aquatic species found nowhere else in the world.
According to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the island is also home to more than a thousand Polynesian residents that mainly thrive on farming and fishing. Due to its unique biodiversity, the organization listed the area as a world heritage site and considered it as a natural laboratory that must be preserved.
The vessel that crashed into the reef still reportedly has around 600 tons of oil on board. There is still a big possibility that more of the fuel will leak into the surrounding waters if no immediate action is taken. The ship's owners, who were transporting bauxite for an Indonesian mining firm, has already sent salvage crews to help recover the vessel. However, the company that chartered the vessel, Bintan Mining SI, has claimed that it has no legal responsibility for the ship and is not liable for the damage it has caused because of the crash.
Due to its lack of experience in such a matter, the Solomon Islands Government has sought the help of nearby countries to put a stop to the major oil spill. Australia has so far responded and has sent several experts and other personnel to the island to help contain the spill. According to Australia's foreign minister, Marise Payne, the country is extremely concerned about the possibly irreversible damage the spill has caused in the area. Aside from sending in help to contain the spill, Australia is also now reportedly working with the Solomon Islands government to place the companies involved in the spill accountable for the damage done to the ecologically delicate reefs.
