The Greek-owned bulk carrier MS Oliva run aground on 4-km² Nightingale Island, part of the UK's Tristan da Cunha Islands in the South Atlantic and home to large populations of albatrosses and other seabirds, in the early morning of 16 March.

 

The heavily-laden 75 300-tonne ship, registered in 2009, was proceeding from Santos in Brazil to Singapore with a cargo of Soya beans.  A salvage tug is to leave Cape Town today and is expected to arrive at Nightingale on the 21st.

 

Meanwhile members of the Tristan Conservation Department are attempting to reach the site of the shipwreck to set rodent traps on the island as a precautionary measure but are currently being hampered by rough seas.  Although the ship's captain has stated it is free of rats, Nightingale is one of the few alien mammal-free islands in the Southern Ocean, and the arrival and establishment of rats would place its seabirds and land birds at severe risk.

 

Early this morning rough seas were also stalling the evacuation of the full complement of the ship's crew to a crayfish fishing vessel that is standing by.  Waves are now starting to break over the grounded ship and the first signs of spilled oil have also been noticed: bad news especially for the island's penguins.

 

Nightingale supports important populations of Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses Thalassarche chlororhynchos (c. 1000 pairs, endemic to the Tristan Group) and of Sooty Albatrosses Phoebetria fusca (c. 200 pairs).

 

At 0700 this morning Tristan received news from the Ovenstones fishing vessel MV Edinburgh that the MS Oliva had run aground on Nightingale Island. All on board are OK but the ship is well and truly stuck at Spinners Point, a rocky promontory on Nightingale's rugged northern coast.  

 

The vessel is a 75,300 tonne bulk carrier (length 225 m, beam 32m) en route from Santos in Brazil to Singapore carrying soya beans. The ship was commissioned in 2009, is registered in Malta, has a call sign 9HA2075 and IMO 9413705.

 

Sean Burns reports that Tristan's main concern is the safety of the crew and it is understood that a voluntary evacuation of ten of the 22 crew on board to MV Edinburgh was taking place this afternoon with the agreement of the masters of both ships. The ship's operators are based in Greece and there is 1 Greek and 21 Filipino crew on board. MV Edinburgh is standing by to assist until the salvage vessel gets here in four to five days time.

Environmental Threat

There is no evidence of any fuel or other pollution, but of course the Tristan community is very concerned about the impact this might have on the environment. The Tristan Government has ben in touch with environmental agencies and it is good news that the salvage team includes an environmental adviser. The Government is also concerned about any impact on the fishery but were relieved to hear that the ballast tanks, 4 of which are damaged, were in fact empty. The Tristan Conservation Department is preparing to send over a team to place bait stations in case any rats get ashore although ship's owners have made an assurance that none are on board.

18 March  09h00 SAST:  The whole crew has now been taken off the grounded ship.  The salvage tug John Ross has left Cape Town with an environmental advisor and equipment to treat oiled birds aboard.  One concern expressed has been that if salvage efforts require the use of powerful night lighting, it will attract nocturnally-visiting burrowing petrels which could result in mass fatalities.  The MS Oliva is described as being down at the bow with a list to port and with water in her engine room.  She has lost one of her lifeboats.  The report of "quite a lot of oil now in Petrel Bay and around the vessel" is of concern since large numbers of Endangered Northern Rockhopper Penguins Eudyptes moseleyi are currently present ashore on Nightingale and Middle.  The ACAP-listed albatrosses of Nightingale Island and its two islets are less likely to become oiled, but Southern Giant Petrels Macronectes giganteus that visit the island's inshore waters may be at some risk.

**18 March  11h30 SAST:  Latest news from Tristan da Cunha is that the Viola has now broken in two and is leaking oil around the island.  The ship was carrying 1500 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. 

** 18 March 12h30 SAST: "MS Oliva broke her back in the force of a relentless swell and the wreck of the ship's superstructure is now breaking up. Flows of oil are all around Nightingale's coast. The onshore Tristan Conservation Team of Simon Glass, Wayne Swain and Matthew Green are busy assessing damage to Nightingale's seabirds. This late summer season is crucial as all adults are flying daily from their nests to catch fish, squid, etc. to feed their rapidly maturing chicks. The island has no land mammals and is regarded as one of the world's most important wildlife habitats. The World Heritage Sites of Inaccessible and Gough Island may also be at risk from oil pollution.  MV Edinburgh will this morning take on board an emergency assessment team which will travel to Nightingale to assess the situation for themselves. We expect a report and photographs later today. The team will be led by Administrator Sean Burns with Chief Islander Ian Lavarello and include Fisheries Officer James Glass, Search and Rescue Police Inspector Conrad Glass and Conservation Officer Trevor Glass."