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To: T L Comiskey who wrote (37524)	2/9/2004 10:34:46 PM
From: lurqer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

Sabotage suspected as fuel spill pollutes New Zealand fjord A fuel spill at a World Heritage-listed fjord in New Zealand was a deliberate act of sabotage, the authorities said yesterday. The crystal waters of Milford Sound have been contaminated by 13,000 litres of diesel, apparently leaked intentionally from a tourist boat. The Conservation Minister, Chris Carter, described the act as "eco-terrorism and economic sabotage" against New Zealand's tourism industry. Images of Milford Sound- in the far south of the South Island - feature in most New Zealand tourism advertisements. It is home to the world's rarest species of penguin, the fjordland crested, as well as dolphins, seals, white herons, shags and ducks. The identity of the perpetrators remained a mystery, and police said they had no leads. A local charter company, Real Journeys, reported that a high-pressure water hose had been inserted into the fuel tank of one of its boats, causing diesel to spill into the sea. But the company had no idea who was responsible for the action, which happened on Saturday night and was discovered by the boat's chef in the morning. Quentin Hanich, a campaigner for Greenpeace Australia New Zealand, said: "This is one of the world's most special places, and we are calling on the New Zealand government to take all criminal actions to the limit of the legislation." Mr Carter said local people were mystified by the incident. "It's a shocking thing to have happened, more so because it appears to have been deliberate." Workers pumped contaminated water into holding tanks yesterday and tried to prevent the one-and-a-quarter mile slick from spreading into wildlife habitats. Warren Tuckey, a member of a local council coordinating the clean-up, said that so far only "a few oily ducks" had been found. Penguins are regarded as being most at risk, since they are currently moulting their waterproof coats. Volunteers went out on boats yesterday to try to scare wildlife away from the slick. But environmental authorities were relieved that it was diesel - which disperses and evaporates relatively quickly - rather than oil that was leaked. news.independent.co.uk lurqer