The Wire

Green’s leader Bob Brown has said today that an oil spill in The Great Barrier Reef, caused by a cargo ship hitting a shoal, could have been prevented. Maritime groups and the Greens Party are blaming the Government for not doing enough to control foreign ships and say the industry needs tighter regulations. The Chinese carrier, named Shen Neng 1, veered 12 kilometers off course into the Marine Park spilling two tones of oil into the ocean. While the oil slick has been contained authorities are struggling to stabilise the ship which is continuing to grind against the reef. An investigation as to how to the carrier ended up so off course is to be launched.