The Tongan government is undertaking a TP$200,000 (NZ$136,000) plan to dispose of derelict ships in Faua Harbour in Nuku’alofa.
But now claims have been made that the vessels, which have been described as floating shipwrecks, may be leaking dangerous chemicals into the sea.
Some of the ships are occupied and people living on board the hulks have been accused of dumping rubbish into the harbour.
Tongan cameraman, Soane Niukapu Gallagher, who provided Kaniva News with these pictures described the situation as appalling and said he wanted the government to act before anything worse occurred.
Niukapu said he saw people living on the boats dumping rubbish into sea.
He agreed that there was no guarantee they were safe for people to stay in.
Four of the ships have already been towed out to sea and sunk by the Port Service Vessel MV Hifofua.
The MV Waimanu, MV Marine Princess, MV Doko and MV Fangafua were towed 16 nautical miles (30 kilometres) out to sea and sunk north east of ‘Atata island.
The Port Authority in Tonga’s Chief Executive Officer, Mosese Lavemai, told Radio Television Tonga he believed chemicals had been leaking from some of the vessels in places where people regularly fished.
Even though the Port Authority’s cleaning up project is underway, Gallagher’s photographs show disturbing images of rusting, derelict vessels and illegally dumped rubbish on the waterfront.
Four years ago the Port Authority said it was preparing to salvage boats which had sunk at Nuku’alofa waterfront after being abandoned by their owners.
At the time the Authority said up to 20 boats had been abandoned, including vessels that were leaking oil and fishing boats and barges that had become submerged.
Lavemai told Radio New Zealand International in 2011: “Some boats are repossessed by the banks for not paying their loans. Some boats, the owners are foreigners from Asia but they have a partner in Tonga. They’ve left and there’s no way we can find them around here. Some are waiting for parts to repair their engines.”
The main points
- The Tongan government is undertaking a TP$200,000 (NZ$136,000) plan to dispose of derelict ships in Faua Harbour in Nuku’alofa.
- But now claims have been made that the vessels, which have been described as floating shipwrecks, may be leaking dangerous chemicals into the sea.
- Some of the ships are occupied and people living on board the hulks have been accused of dumping rubbish into the harbour.
- Four of the vessels have already been towed out to sea and sunk.
For more information
Tonga to salvage abandoned, sunken boats (TRNZI/Pacific Islands Report)
