The HMNZS Manawanui, aground in Samoa. Photo: Profile Boats / supplied
More than a year after the New Zealand navy vessel HMNZS Manawanui sank off the south coast of Samoa's island of Upolu, affected locals have yet to be compensated.
Information showing a compensation payment from the New Zealand government to the Samoa government of SAT$10 million - about NZ$6m - made as far back as May this year has also raised concerns over the process in Samoa.
The NZ Navy vessel crashed into the Tafitoala reef on 6 October 2024, and spilled diesel and rubbish into the surrounding water. It eventually sank into the reef, where it remains today.
Residents from the village of Tafitoala in the district of Safata watched the ship crash and burn less than two kilometres from their homes.
Fagailesau Afaaso Junior Saleupu, a matai of the village, has been helping co-ordinate the Tafitoala compensation claim to the government of Samoa and New Zealand High Commission over the incident. He said the wreckage continued to cause problems for families who have long depended on the ocean for sustenance and income.
"So many sea resources we [rely] on for food, not only for food, but for selling [so we] get money - it's gone.
"We don't know why, and that's the only thing we [can think] of. Since the Manawanui grounding, all these issues start coming up."
A 'disappointing' process
When the ship ran into the reef, a five kilometre precautionary zone was placed around the wreck, preventing locals from fishing and using the waters in front of their homes.
After five months, the no-go zone was reduced to two kilometres, which Fagailesau said remained in place today.
Locals were initially pleased at the development, returning to the ocean surrounding their village to fish and gather seafood, only to find - even after more than a year - much of the regular marine life was missing.
Seasonal fish like igaga and lupo, and sea cucumbers - harvested as a delicacy - had been scarce, which had significantly affected families who sold seafood often at roadside stalls along the coast, he said.
"That's the other source of income for us."
The whole process had been disappointing, Fagailesau said.
Documents released to RNZ Pacific under the Official Information Act show the SAT$10 million compensation payment was requested by Samoa's Ministry of Foreign of Affairs and Trade.
Then-Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa made a formal request for the money to New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters in May.
Peters agreed and the exchange of letters between the leaders facilitated the "immediate" payment of the SAT$10 million, according to the documents.
However, seven months after the transaction, locals from the villages most affected by the Manawanui wreckage remain unsure about what has happened with the money.
Transparency over information has been difficult, with the compensation amount only disclosed publicly in October when the New Zealand government announced it at the one-year anniversary of the wreckage.
Fagailesau said it simply was not good enough.
"That money is from the government of New Zealand for our village. The money is the compensation for Safata, so they should distribute the money now for the district for us," he said.
"We've already [given] our request to the government."
Maninoa chief says payment delays due to govt change
Despite the delay, not everyone has lost faith in the process.
Atanoa Tusi Fa'afetai, the paramount chief from the neighbouring village of Maninoa in the district of Si'umu, believes delays in compensation are due to a change in government.
Laaulialemalietoa Polataivao Schmidt took over from Fiame in September following the general election.
Atanoa said the government was working on the distribution process.
"We know that we're supposed to be compensated, and we are expecting payment, but because of the new administration, the new government, I think they are trying to make sure that they iron out all the details from the previous administration and New Zealand government to get some understanding of how the funds [are] being released."
Like Fagailesau, he believed the New Zealand government had not paid enough for the damage caused by the Manawanui.
"It's not sufficient," he said.
Atanoa, an engineer, drew comparisons to the Rena ship, a commercial vessel which crashed into a reef off the coast of Tauranga, New Zealand in 2011. An estimated 350 tonnes of oil spilled into the sea and significant damage and pollution to the environment occurred.
Maritime NZ, which led the response, said the clean-up cost NZ$47 million, of which more than $27 million was paid for by the ship's owners. The salvage of the vessel came to $700 million, which was paid by the ship's owners but overseen by the New Zealand government.
Atanoa said if the Manawanui wreckage remained on the reef, then the New Zealand government would need to contribute more.
"If they cannot remove the vessel, they have to compensate for the vessel's displacement here in our ocean, and also the fishery loss.
"People depend on consuming the fish and marine life… [and] tourism losses.
"Those are the things that New Zealand has to look into for the liability of what's been happening."
A New Zealand Defence Force Court of Inquiry into the Manawanui incident also found multiple failures of the crew, the ship and the New Zealand Navy. It also showed the ship grounded after it was left in autopilot and could not turn.
Peters had no comment following the release of his correspondence about the SAT$10 million compensation payment.
Fiame said she signed off on what was recommended by her officials, and did not have access to the relevant files to look at while speaking to RNZ Pacific.
Laaulialemalietoa has not yet responded to requests for comment, nor has the chief executive of Samoa's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which is the Samoa agency leading the compensation process.
