Artist and activist Michel Mulipola, who hails from Lefaga and Vaimoso in Samoa, says the sinking of Manawanui is not a small thing for Samoan people or the moana.
Locals, who depend on the ocean for a food source and an income to provide for their family, have been warned not to fish within a 20km length of the coastline between Safata and Lefaga.
MP Peeni Henare has made an apology to Samoa on behalf of Labour but Mulipola said it was disappointing the New Zealand government still hadn’t issued an apology to the Samoan people deeply affected by the shipwreck and diesel spillage.
The ship must be removed ‘we are not a dumping ground’
The process of salvaging the sunken HMNZS Manawanui is under way with the priority of removing all the fuel from the ship.
Led by New Zealand’s Deputy Chief of Navy, Commodore Andrew Brown, Operation Resolution involves 60 personnel in Samoa for the recovery and clean up.
Brown said they were committed to the removal of Manawanui but, during this week’s post-cabinet press conference, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the navy and insurers had not decided whether they would try to recover the ship.
Marine scientist Dr Bridie Allan said if was not removed, it was likely the presence of the ship would have negative impacts on the environment.
Whether or not the cost is enormous, Mulipola said it was New Zealand’s responsibility to “clean up their mess” and the least it could do was ensure the wreckage had no further environmental impacts.
He said it should not fall onto Samoa, which would not have the funds to fix this problem it didn’t cause.
“But it‘s typical right? The moana is seen as a dumping ground for the militaries. We‘ve seen it with the hundreds of nuclear bombs, with [Japan’s] nuclear waste.”
“We are not a dumping ground, the moana is ours, the moana is what connects us.”
Environmental initiative turned to disaster
Mulipola said it was disappointing that the Navy’s scientific exploration ended up damaging the reef it was surveying.
“This latest incident, even though it wasn’t necessarily a military or Navy exercise, it was more science exploration, just reiterates the kind of danger these ships present in our moana.”
He said it was funny because the navy was doing climate change and environmental initiatives when military forces were known to have negative impacts on the environment.
According to a 2022 study by Conflict and Environment Observatory, if global militaries were a country, they would have the fourth-highest carbon footprint. The study estimated due to being highly fossil fuel-dependent, militaries are responsible for 5.5 per cent of global greenhouse emissions.
“It‘s kind of like billionaires in philanthropy, ’I know we‘re the problem but look at us, we do some good stuff too.’”
He said diesel spillages were among many of the negative impacts this presence has had on the region including nuclear testing, and the building of military bases in Guam and Hawaii, which made the region a target.
“If New Zealand joins Aukus, it will only get worse,” Mulipola said.
“If you weren‘t there in the first place, we wouldn’t have this,” he said, “Hindsight is 2020 but this accident has just reiterated the fact that navy and military presence in the moana are no longer needed or wanted.”
Mulipola said community-led groups such as Pacific Climate Warriors could instead be funded to carry out climate initiatives.
“After the cleanup we‘ll see what the real damage is to the environment, to the moana but it‘s gonna take a while and that’s the shame, that’s the pity,” Mulipola said.
Some locals told ABC News their livelihoods had been destroyed and they deserved compensation.
Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataafa told RNZ Pacific talk of compensation would only take place once the impacts on the environment were clear.
Awaiting the court of inquiry
Mulipola said while accidents happened it would be good to hear from the court of inquiry, which should reveal how this happened.
Dr Iati Iati a Samoan international relations expert from Victoria University of Wellington, has urged the Samoan government to run its own independent inquiry.
