12 Mar 2007

Shipping company to start removing fuel from trawler which ran aground on Niue

3:14 pm on 12 March 2007

Work is expected to start shortly on removing around 4 thousand litres of fuel from a fishing trawler which ran aground on Niue yesterday morning.

The 15 metre Jay Belinda, from the Niue fishing company, Reef Fishing, is wedged between rocky outcrops off east coast of the island.

The trawler is understood to have sough shelter on the east coast from high winds.

All the crew got off the boat safely but the boat is still carrying the fuel and 8 tonnes of fish.

A company official in Auckland says they are still to speak with the skipper to find out how the boat ended up on the reef but their priority is removing the fuel to avoid any environmental damage.