Remembering New Zealand's Rena Oil Spill, 1 Year Later

Remembering New Zealand's Rena Oil Spill, 1 Year Later

In the early morning hours of October 5, 2011, the MV Rena, a large cargo ship carrying 1,368 containers, struck a reef in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty, spilling several hundred metric tons of heavy fuel and causing the worst maritime environmental disaster in the nation’s history. An estimated 2,000 seabirds died as a result.

Thankfully, many more were saved. Over 400 oiled birds were brought into care, and 375 of those were released. By oiled wildlife response standards, that’s a highly successful release rate.

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