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Two jailed over New Zealand ship disaster
Two officers of the container ship that ran aground off New Zealand, causing its worst maritime spill, jailed for seven months each.
The Rena hit a reef releasing an oil slick that killed thousands of birds and polluted beaches in the North Island's pristine Bay of Plenty
The captain and second officer of a ship that caused New Zealand's biggest sea pollution disaster when it hit an offshore reef were both jailed for seven months.
The Filipino captain and navigating officer had previously pleaded guilty to mishandling the vessel and altering ship documents after the incident.
The Liberian-flagged MV Rena hit a reef near the North Island's Tauranga on 5 October 2011.
Hundreds of tonnes of fuel oil leaked out, causing widespread pollution.
An interim report by the New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission stated that the accident occurred as the crew tried to meet a deadline to reach port.
In January, the grounded ship broke in two, spilling some 300 containers and debris into the water.
New Zealand's government has estimated the cost of the clean-up at 78 million euros.
More than 300 tonnes of toxic fuel oil leaked from the ship, creating an oil slick kilometres long, which washed onto beaches at the popular tourist spot, coating birds in thick black sludge.
Environment Minister Nick Smith described it as New Zealand's worst maritime pollution disaster.
