Eric Roy
Opposition Conservation Spokesman
18 March 2000
Environmental recklessness unacceptable
Opposition Conservation Spokesman Eric Roy today called for a self-closing breathing valve to be compulsory in the fuel
tanks of all large fishing vessels operating in New Zealand waters, following an oil spill off the coast of the Chatham
Islands last night.
"The potential for an ecological disaster as a result of a fuel spill from a fishing vessel is huge. The Seafresh One
fuel leak comes 18 months after the grounding of the Korean Trawler - Dong Won 529, which spilled about 30 tonnes of
fuel near Stewart Island.
"The installation of a breathing valve in a vessels fuel tank costs only a handful of dollars. To not have one
constitutes environmental recklessness.
"It costs millions to cleanup fuel spills, let alone the environmental damage that lingers as a result of the spill.
"The valve lets air into the fuel tank to prevent a vacuum when fuel is being consumed, and automatically shuts off when
the vessel submerges for any reason - effectively sealing the tank.
"Accidents at sea do happen and it is vital that we do all we can to prevent pollution of our marine environment. The
cost of prevention far outweighs that of a clean up," Mr Roy said.
Ends