Samoa has moved to tighten security and establish a 300-metre exclusion zone around the wreck of the New Zealand naval vessel HMNZS Manawanui after reports of unauthorised diving, break‑ins and continued environmental risk at the site off the south coast of Upolu. The move follows a recent survey that discovered signs of activity around the sunken vessel, which went down in October 2024 after striking a reef and is reported to have spilled hundreds of thousands of litres of diesel and oil into surrounding waters.
The Marine Pollution Advisory Committee (MPAC) has declared the site dangerous and the Samoan government says the restrictions are intended to protect divers, fishermen and small craft operating in the area. MPAC chair Fui Tupai Mau Simanu warned that the wreck presents acute hazards: divers could become trapped in cables or inside unstable sections of the ship, and lubricants still held in pipes and machinery may continue to leak into the ocean, posing ongoing pollution risks.
Authorities have banned low‑flying aircraft and drones within the safety zone, though commercial flights operating above 500 feet will not be affected. The government said the measures align with international maritime safety guidance and are supported by Samoa’s powers under the Shipping Act and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Only Samoa’s Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure can authorise diving inside the restricted area, officials emphasised.
New Zealand Defence Force response lead Captain Rodger Ward confirmed a Royal New Zealand Navy team will travel to Samoa to carry out a detailed survey of the wreck and assist with recovery and mitigation efforts. Ward said the recent survey detected signs of unauthorised activity, prompting the stepped‑up security around the site. He reiterated that unauthorised access is prohibited while stabilisation and pollution controls are being planned and implemented.
The Manawanui disaster remains under scrutiny in New Zealand. Three Royal New Zealand Navy officers now face a court martial charged with negligently causing the loss of the ship. That legal process, together with the environmental assessments and salvage planning, frames the broader, ongoing response to the loss of the vessel and its impact on Samoan waters.
Samoan authorities said the safety zone will remain in place until the vessel has been stabilised and the pollution risks fully addressed. Officials have urged local fishers and recreational seafarers to heed the restrictions and warned that unauthorised salvage or diving not only endangers lives but could hamper efforts to limit further environmental damage and recover the wreck safely.
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