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Great Barrier Reef 'in danger of being damaged' due to oil-leaking Chinese ship

The Great Barrier Reef is in danger of being damaged due to a stranded Chinese ship leaking oil into the ocean after it ran aground off north-eastern Australia.

The 230 metre (754ft) Shen Neng I bulk coal carrier was on its way to China from the Queensland port of Gladstone when it ran aground on a shoal on Saturday.

As well as carrying 65,000 tonnes of coal, it had 950 tonnes of oil on board and officials said patches had been spotted in water early the next day. It was located 43 miles east of Great Keppel Island, offshore from the city of Rockhampton.

Anna Bligh, the premier of Queensland state, said the ship was in such a bad state, it was in danger of breaking up completely thereby posing a danger to the reef.

"The situation remains serious as the extent of the damage means there is a very real risk that the vessel may break apart," Ms Bligh said. "Every effort is now being made to limit the impact of this incident on the Great Barrier Reef."

The Great Barrier Reef, which stretches for 1,200 miles off the north-east coast of Australia, is one of the coutnry's biggest tourist attractions but it is considered highly vulnerable to damage from pollution.

Environmentalists have criticised regulations which do not require a special pilot to guide ships through the tortuous channels in the area. They warned that communities of coral only recently studied by science could be destroyed by a major oil leak.

"It would devastate the local ecosystems in this area," Ian Herbert, vice-chairman of the local Capricorn Conservation Council, said. "There are corals surrounding some of these islands that are very special."

The Australian Maritime Safety Agency said a salvage company had been employed by the ship's owners and would be on board the vessel later in the day to carry out a salvage assessment.

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