Page 14 - IB MAR 2019

Cover Story

Oil soiled beach on Rennell Island. Photo: Australian High Commission -DFAT

A murky mix of vested interests

Solomons struggles to stop oil spill

By Peni Komaisavai vulnerable to threats including mining and logging. “The ability
of the traditional owners to adequately protect and manage the
AN oil spill in Rennell, Solomon Islands is turning into a disaster natural values and resources of the property is limited by a lack
of catastrophic proportions, threatening the world’s biggest raised of funding, capacity and resources,” UNESCO says.
coral atoll and prompting caretaker Prime Minister Rick Hou to The spill has not only affected the livelihood of more than
call for a review of environmental and mining laws on the eve 300 people living in communities and villages in the area —
of the national elections. who cannot eat seafood, their main source of protein-but it has
The spill began when the ship, the MV Solomon Trader ran also threatened to destroy one of the country’s most important
aground a reef whilst loading mined bauxite in the area on Feb- natural habitats.
ruary 5. The vessel, which was carrying nearly 11,000 tonnes It took almost a month for cleanup and mitigation efforts to
of bauxite at the time, is owned by Hong Kong company King get underway, forcing King Trader and Korea Protection and
Trader and was chartered by Indonesian-based Bintan Mining to Indemnity Club to issue an apology, which stated: “both parties
ship bauxite from its mining operations to China. Bintan, which is are acutely aware of environmental damage and impacts to the
mining under contract from Asia Pacific Investment Development local community.”
(APID) the mining lease holder, has already distanced itself from The statement continued: “King Trader secured a local tug to
any liability for the spill, and allegedly continued to load bauxite try and remove the vessel in a timely manner, however the situ-
even as the oil spread. ation worsened with the arrival of Cyclone Oma, which pushed
In mid-March authorities were reporting 70 tonnes of oil had the stricken vessel harder into the reef, resulting in hull and
been spilt. Approximately 600 tonnes of oil remained inside the engine room damage.”
ship, although it is now being transferred to safe tanks on a tank Initial estimates of the clean-up cost range between US$30-50
barge which had been sent from Vanuatu. Now the ship’s insurer, million.
Korea Protection and Indemnity Club, says the spilled load may Prime Minister Hou has conceded to the Solomon Star that the
be greater than original estimated. country’s environmental laws are inadequate to respond to such
The MV Solomon Trader spill is on the doorstep of the Ren- events: “Existing legislation does not provide for emergency ac-
nell Islands UNESCO World Heritage site, a 37,000-ha land and tion in such an event, a review of the country’s environmental
marine area extending three nautical miles to sea. UNESCO calls and mining laws is needed, any new laws should include liability
the site a true natural laboratory for scientific study, but says it is provisions to ensure companies involved in accidents are held

14 Islands Business, March 2019