Environment Canterbury is worried big swells will continue to hamper the removal of a fishing boat stranded off the coast of Banks Peninsula.
The 25m Austro Carina, owned and operated by Lyttelton-based Pegasus Fishing Ltd, ran aground near Shell Bay on the southeastern side of the peninsula on Sunday night.
It had about 10,000 litres of diesel and 400 litres of hydraulic oil onboard. Images show the vessel on rocks, spilling oil near an endangered penguin colony.
In a statement this morning, ECan said: "We are surveying by drone daily to assess the vessel stability, release of fuel and oil, and any impacts on the environment and wildlife.
"There is still some debris in the surrounding water around the south coast of Banks Peninsula, particularly around the Shell Bay area. We are asking boat owners to avoid the area."
ECan Commander Emma Parr said crews battled 2m swells yesterday - and the conditions are worse today.
"We're definitely struggling with the sea conditions around that side of the peninsula. The expectation is for those (swells) to increase over the coming days, along with king tides as well.
"So it's not favourable for any contact with the vessel.
"(The boat) is lifting - so she's going back and forward and mostly under water on the port side, with the back off it under water."
Parr said an aerial assessment of the wreck yesterday indicated there was very little oil on the water.
"There isn't much oil at all on the surface of the water. We have had sightings of some of the diesel and hydraulic oil that was released from the vessel - it's headed toward the Shell Bay area.
"We are concerned for those wildlife, they are high risk and sensitive. We're preparing for an oiled wildlife response.
"If we had a favourable weather window, we may be able to remove fuel from the vessel if it was safe to do so. So far we have not had those conditions."
Shell Bay is home to a number of penguin species, including the endangered yellow-eyed penguin, or hoiho, the white-flippered penguin and little blue penguins.
Spotted shags also live in the bay, along with seals and their pups.
Parr told 1News "some seals may have been slightly oiled, but that information hasn't been completely confirmed with the Department of Conservation partners".
If you see oil-covered wildlife or debris from the ship, call 0800 765 588 to report it.
The vessel's owner told the NZ Herald yesterday “somebody made a mistake”.
“We’re carrying out an internal inquiry as well - it’s like driving your car and you end up off the road,” he said.
He said the crew "are physically okay but a bit traumatised". The 45-year-old boat had no previous history of accidents, the owner said.
-Additional reporting Nathan Morton, NZ Herald
