Captain of ship grounded off New Zealand coast arrested

New Zealand's authorities arrested on Wednesday the captain of a container ship that ran aground off New Zealand's north-eastern coast, causing a major oil spill, the Herald Sun newspaper reported. The container ship, the 236-meter Rena, struck a reef off New Zealand's port of Tauranga on October 5. Between 130-350 tons of fuel oil is thought to have leaked from the vessel. The newspaper quoted the country's Transport Minister Steven Joyce as saying the arrested captain, a Filipino national, would appear in court later in the day on charges of "operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk." The captain faces a fine of up to $10,000 or a prison term of up to 12 months if found guilty, the report said. The ship has more than 1,300 containers on board, including 11 which are believed to contain hazardous materials. The oil started washing ashore at local beaches on Monday, where large numbers of dead birds and fish have been seen, the paper quoted local residents as saying. Local authorities say it would take several weeks to clean up the shoreline.