14 Mar 2012

Some shellfish recovered from oil spill in a month - study

7:53 pm on 14 March 2012

Preliminary results from a study of kaimoana in the Bay of Plenty, show the recovery time from contamination by heavy fuel oil from the container ship Rena, has in some cases been amazingly fast.

Waikato University Professor Chris Battershill says research one of his doctoral students was doing on general contamination of harvest systems in the bay, was extended after the Rena grounded off the Tauranga coast last October.

He says the student has found that some contaminated shellfish collected from water around Motiti Island, Astrolabe Reef, Papamoa and Mount Maunganui recovered in a month or so.

Dr Battershill says in addition to finding out long it takes for the flesh of kaimoana to be clear of any toxins, the student with help from Bay of Plenty Regional Council will be studying the long term physiological effects.