Samoa's PM says HMNZS Manawanui wreck can remain where it lies

Prime Minister of Samoa Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said recently that the wreck of the Royal New Zealand Navy survey ship HMNZS Manawanui can remain where it has sunk after she acknowledged that the vessel has become part of the surrounding marine environment.

Speaking to New Zealand's 1News, Mata'afa said all "toxic elements" on board Manawanui have since been removed, and the vessel has become, "an additional part...of the reef," where it ran aground and capsized in 30 metres of water off Upolu on October 5, 2024.