AUCKLAND: Cracks are beginning to appear in the stricken container ship stuck on a reef off New Zealand. Already, as many as 70 of the thousands of containers on the ship have fallen into the sea Court Hearing The 44-year-old Filipino Captain is being charged under section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act of operating a vessel causing unnecessary danger or risk to a person or property, carrying a maximum penalty of $10,000, or a maximum term of imprisonment of 12 months. Transport Minister Steven Joyce says further charges against the captain are probable at the next hearing. The nature of the possible further charges is unknown. Wednesday saw the first hearing of the captain whose name and address have been protected by the courts. The captain appeared at Tauranga District Court among a public gallery packed with reporters. “There is a real potential that some persons may want to take matters into their own hands and it services no purpose at all that this man is accosted, attacked or in any way interfered with, because that would indirectly interfere with the process of this court,” said Paul Mabey, lawyer for the captain. Name suppression and protection of details regarding bail conditions was granted. The case judge, Robert Wolff did allow the man's age, race and pixellated photograph to be published. The next court hearing will be on October 19. Financial losses after Rena Business owners in the Tauranga area are feeling the financial impact of the Rena oil spill. Commercial fisherman, especially have expressed the acute affect the spill is having on business. Fisherman Roger Rawlinson says, “If we don't catch fish this week, we can't catch twice as many fish next week. So the bottom line is it's out of our pockets.” Rawlinson has already lost thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Many workers could face losing their jobs. “If we can't go, what am I going to do with them? I can't pay them. We only get paid if we catch fish,” said Rawlinson Fisherman, Dolphin tours and hotel businesses are among many who will undoubtedly face large losses during the peak summer seasons. “It'll be a massive loss of revenue. Some places may be closing down. We're all gonna be hit hard by the economic recession, this is just another nail in the coffin,” said Motelier Lloyd Stone, at the Tauranga Motel Association. Taxpayers to take the brunt Prime Minister John Key has announced that the taxpayers could also end up paying for some of the clean up. “Liability for pollution damage will be capped at around $14 million. If the cost of cleaning up pollution goes beyond that then unfortunately the Government will need to pay for that excess amount,” says maritime law expert, Joanna Mossop. The total cost of the clean up is unknown but it is highly probable that tax payers will have to contribute. Rena in Politics The oil spill which is regarded as New Zealand's worst maritime disaster has come 6 weeks before the General Election. Instead of campaigning John Key and Phil Goff changed their plans to be in Tauranga on Wednesday. For the opposition the recovery response has been a target of criticism. “There is a real sense of frustration amongst the people here that there wasn't enough urgency and even now not enough help for them to clean up their own back yard,” says opposition leader Goff. “The reality is it's always a lot trickier and a lot more difficult when you're actually in the middle of it,” said Key in response to widespread criticism. BM
