Chinese Coal Ship Refloated

Reef Could Take 20 Years To Recover

The Chinese coal carrier, the Shen Neng 1, which ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, has been refloated and is now lying in safe waters off Great Keppel Island.

However, Australian scientists say that the ship caused miles of damage to the Reef and it could take 20 years for the reef to recover.
The Shen Neng 1 ran aground 10 days previously, on a journey taking Australian coal to China.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) chief scientist David Wachenfeld says the damage is worse than expected and stretches for three kilometres.

"This is by far the largest ship grounding scar we have seen on the Great Barrier Reef to date," he told ABC.

"This vessel did not make an impact in one place and rest there and then was pulled off.

"This scar is more in the region of 3km long and up to 250 metres wide."

Marine park authority chairman Russell Reichelt said toxic paint from the hull of the coal carrier was killing coral around Douglas Shoal, where the ship ran aground. He added that it would be some weeks before the full extent of the damage was known but said that paint that had been scrapped off onto the Reef is killing coral in the vicinity.

"I'm a multiple-use marine park advocate but I do think we have claimed in the past that we've got the best shipping protection in the world," he said.
"If the best isn't good enough - we're still having groundings - we have to do better."

A white plume that had been photographed around the coral was evidence that the ship’s hull was crushing coral as it moved with the wind and the swell of the sea.
Australian environment minister Peter Garrett has asked the marine park authority for a thorough review of the site.