Latest news with #Upolu
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Samoan villagers still fearful of contaminated fish near Manawanui wreck
The HMNZS Manawanui ran aground on a reef off the Samoan island of Upolu on 5 October last year, before catching fire and sinking, however all 75 passengers and crew were rescued. Photo: New Zealand Defence Force People living close to where the Manawanui sank in Samoa are still concerned about fish being poisoned from pollutants, despite the country's Marine Pollution Advisory Committee deeming it safe to collect seafood. Fagailesau Afaaso Junior Saleupu, who lives in Tafitoala village which right next to where the Manawanui sank, said people are still scared to eat fish collected close to the wreck. "In my village where the Manawanui is grounding, people hardly go for fishing at the moment, the reason why, because they are really suspicious of getting any fish poison," he said. The Manawanui ran aground on the reef off the south coast of Upolu in early October 2024 before catching fire and sinking. The New Zealand Navy has removed diesel, oil and other pollutants from the ship. Samoa's government has also removed a 20-kilometre squared precautionary zone on 12 February which advised against fishing in the area. Samoa's Marine Pollution Advisory Committee (MPAC) chairman Fui Tupai Mau Simanu said that it was removed following tests by the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa, which confirmed it was fine to fish in the area. Fui said an impact assessment had also been carried out by MPAC, while another ongoing independent assessment is happening now which is expected to be completed at the end of June. "The two reports will be the foundation of the decision making moving forward." He also said MPAC runs routine monthly tests as part of the monitoring programme. However, Fagailesau said people are still worried and there's not the same number of fish as there was before. "There are some other sea animals that we always use to make food and sell, until now we never see that again." Fagailesau said the community is still waiting to hear from the Samoan government on financial compensation. "From the time that the Manawanui grounding, for our village there's beach fales, all the guests cancel." Fui said that people who lost income due to the Manawanui sinking would have an opportunity to apply for financial compensation. "Discussions of compensation are going on at the moment. A separate committee has been appointed by Government to handle this," he said. There's still a 2km prohibitive area around the Manawanui . Fui said the government is having a community engagement on 10 June.
RNZ News
24-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Sunken Manawanui listed as $77m write-off in Budget
The HMNZS Manawanui ran aground on a reef off the Samoan island of Upolu on 5 October last year, before catching fire and sinking, however all 75 passengers and crew were rescued. Photo: New Zealand Defence Force A $77 million write-off of the Navy ship Manawanui, which sunk off Samoa last October , is contained in the Budget papers on defence. These also show $32m in costs booked in for 2024-25, for the clean-up, salvage, and "other remedial activities" at the shipwreck. The dive-and-seafloor-survey ship, which the navy had had for five years, was insured for salvaging operations but not replacement. It is not being replaced, and the Budget noted that its loss would reduce "warfare support" by the NZDF in coastal zones. The decrease in the expected level of "readiness" for this type of support, which is set by the government, consequently has dropped from 98 percent to 85 percent: "The decrease ... is a result of the loss of the HMNZS Manawanui," said the defence vote. Before it sank, the ship had cleared unexploded bombs in Tuvalu and surveyed for them in Fiji, Niue and Vanuatu, as well as giving humanitarian support during the tropical cyclone season. That aid gap now might have to be plugged by the ship Canterbury , defence papers said. Budget 2025, under the sub-head "significant trends", also stated the sinking featured as the reason for an increase in output expenses in 2024-25. A military-led inquiry in April found a dozen weaknesses aboard and onshore contributed to the sinking, including around training, leadership and preparation, and that the ship was not up to the task. Over 60 people were on the ground in Samoa within days to clean up, with another 30 in reserve, in October 2024. Salvors took off fuel, though 600,000 litres went unaccounted for - with some of that burned off in a fire after it hit the reef. They then removed other debris, finishing up in early May. An independent report about the wreck by pollution experts has been underway, and Samoan authorities have also got testing done since October. RNZ in March requested the release of environmental test reports, but the NZDF said in May: "Unfortunately your request of 21 March 2025 was missed", and it would now consider it Previously, the Manawanui was held up by defence as a lesson of what to do. It had "demonstrated that the delivery of defence capabilities can be undertaken in a fiscally responsible manner, while also enhancing those capabilities to better meet the demands of the future", the 2019 Defence Capability Plan (DCP) said. The 2025 DCP forecast that the "future fleet" would need dive and survey support, but that this would be by using "other platforms" and would have to wait as the immediate focus was on sea drones. However, Budget 2025 does not list sea drones among the 15 DCP projects it would fund. All up, the Budget puts $2.7 billion of capital and $563m operating funding for these 15 "priority" projects; the amounts were mostly blanked out for "commercial" reasons (Defence now must negotiate to actually acquire the various systems, in an international arms market where demand is spiralling as many countries increase military spending). While sea drones are missing in Budget 2025, aerial drones feature, along with communications and anti-tank missile upgrades, plus the pre-announced largest capital outlay of $2 billion-plus to replace naval helicopters. A relatively tiny $30m is going on small-scale projects, including to do with space. Fleet replacement would have to wait till the next phase, the DCP said in April. "This will allow for the adoption of new and emerging technology to achieve transformational change for the Navy, including across training, trades, and infrastructure." Budget 2025 also set aside large sums for more naval and other operations, plus training - $150m a year - and to maintain the three services' capabilities: $39m for the navy, $50m for the army and $60m for the air force. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Could modern technology help answer the question behind Samoa's ancient megaliths?
Hundreds of prehistoric stone mounds have been uncovered across Samoa thanks to drones and laser light technology, and now, a project bringing these megalith structures to the world could help answer the puzzling question: why were they built? The Living Monuments project has recreated a high-quality virtual model of one of these mounds, known as Potini Tia, which is now accessible through virtual and augmented reality. The model was launched at the megalith's site at Sa'anapu, Upolu, and is also open physically to the public. The Potini Tia is thought to be around 800 years old. It stands 11.5 metres high and 17 metres wide and is made up of about 30,000 cubic metres of stone and earth. Jonathan Fong, from Motivate Fiji, flies a drone to capture images as part of geospatial mapping of the stone mound at Pōtini, Sa'anapu ( Supplied: Tiapapata Arts Centre ) "It's amazing to think that manpower basically constructed this by hand with literally tons and tons of basalt," said Tiapapata Arts Centre director, Galumalemanu Steven Percival. Galumalemanu said not only did the opening of the Tia at Potini create the potential for heritage tourism, but it also provided opportunities to carry out more research into why these megaliths were built. The discovery of these mounds, which could be close to 1,000, indicated there were many enigmas in the culture still not understood by modern Samoans. Many Samoan elders living near stone monoliths believe they were used to snare pigeons, which is why they are called Tia Seulupe. But Galumalemana and other researchers believe this could have been a secondary purpose. "Perhaps the knowledge was quickly erased because a lot of this knowledge was considered pagan by the early missionaries," he said. "So if there had been indigenous religious practices associated with these mounds, it's very likely that the missionaries made it clear to the Samoans that this is something from the past that should be forgotten — and they erase the memory." Galumalemana Steven Percival runs the Tiapata Arts Centre and is passionate about discovering Samoa's past ( ABC Radio Australia: Inga Stünzner ) The largest megalith is found in Savaii. Pulemelei is a star mound, and the sides of this rectangular pyramid align directly to the north, south, east and west. Galumalemana interviewed an elder from the village who said the story passed down through generations was that it could have been a portal to another world. "There was a gentleman from the village whose duty it was to go to the top of the mound at dusk every day and blow the conch shell. "And in doing so, their belief was that this called any wandering spirits to enter the underworld or to return to the place where the spirits go and in that way not disturb the living at night." Professor Helene Martinsson-Wallin, an archaeologist from the Gotland Campus of Uppsala University, Sweden, is one of only a few people who have visited Pulemelei in recent years, which she stands on top of. ( Supplied: Galumalemana Steven Percival ) Galumalemana said he hoped the Living Monuments project could include other sites across Samoa, creating a better understanding of Samoa's history and preventing unintended damage to archaeological sites. This can be mitigated through education, he said. "And partly that education can come through creating the 3D models of the state that they are naturally in without changing them, and I hope this will also then increase the appreciation and value that people have for these sites."
RNZ News
07-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
'Will take time': Manawanui's fate still to be decided
HMNZS Manawanui grounded on a reef at the southern end of Upolu in Samoa on 5 October 2024, the ship then caught fire, capsized and sank. Photo: Supplied Samoa's Ministry of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure chief executive says the final fate of the sunken Manawanui is still to be decided. The New Zealand Navy vessel sank off the coast of Upolu in October last year, with a report into the grounding finding the crew were undertrained and the boat was not up to the task it was doing. Fui Tupa'i Simanu said in a statement that the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation is conducting an independent report on the wreck. "Once that report is tabled, further decisions will be made," he said, adding "that includes the final decision on the wreck." A report on the incident released last month found that the crew and commanding officer were undertrained, the boat was not up to the task it was doing, and the person in charge of the ship was distracted. A local surf guide, Manu Percival, who operates near the shipwreck, told RNZ Pacific that he was shocked and disappointed at the findings. Percival said it was simply not good enough. "That is absolutely shocking that they had inadequately trained crew members and they went on a boat. I cannot believe how stupid that is," he said. "New Zealand has had so many disasters throughout history, and learned from it, and then to come over here [Samoa] and not practice what they practice in New Zealand is just stupid. "What were they doing? Showing off? Looks like they just show off." Percival suggested the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) give him a call about compensation for the impact on Samoans. The HMNZS Manawanui leaving from Devonport Naval Base in 2023. Photo: RNZ / Ella Stewart However, Fui said there are ongoing discussions on compensation. Read more: The NZDF said earlier this week that it has completed work to retrieve important equipment, weapons, ammunition and some debris from in and around the shipwreck. In a statement on Monday, Commodore Andrew Brown said it is an important milestone which follows the successful removal of diesel fuel, oil and other pollutants from the ship. He said all the equipment, weapons and the ammunition have now been returned to New Zealand and much of the scrap metal debris has gone to be repurposed locally. Diesel fuel slicks from the Manawanui observed from aerial shots drifting with the wind and currents Photo: Ministry of Works Transport and Infrastructure Samoa The rest of the debris, along with tanktainers of unusable diesel fuel, pollutants, and oil mix, will return to New Zealand on the salvors' barge for safe disposal. "Every effort has been taken to leave the Manawanui as safe and secure as possible, until a decision is reached on next steps for the ship and the work required for that," Brown said. "With our focus on the next steps for Manawanui , reef and environmental studies are progressing to inform and sit alongside the independent wreck assessment. "These will take time, but will provide essential expert advice, to inform government decisions." A core group of NZDF personnel remains in Samoa for support, and the Samoan government's prohibited area of two kilometres around the Manawanui remains. The Manawanui's anchor is seen on the reef, with its chain causing damage as it sways with the currents. Photo: Ministry of Works Transport and Infrastructure Samoa Meanwhile, Percival is completely against turning the Manawanui wreck into a dive site. There were three options Samoa's Cabinet was set to consider, including potentially leaving the wreck on the reef. Percival wanted that option ruled out. "It is a wild ocean," he said. "Diving does not work, but nah, it is just like it should not be there. Should get rid of it. "Keeping it there as a shipwreck? That is bullshit." He added that not only would dive operations not be a viable business due to cost, New Zealand had a responsibility to fully remove the ship. RNZ Pacific has spoken with two other locals who shared similar views, but said they were too scared to go on record out of fear of repercussions. UAS footage of RNZN Divers surveying the area around HMNZS Manawanui on the Southern Coast of Upulo as part of Op Resolution. 25 October 2024 Photo: New Zealand Defence Force
