More debris removed from Rena

File photo / Graeme Brown

Timber, latex gloves, fuel and containers continue to be removed from the stricken Rena and Bay of Plenty beaches, more than four months after the ship's grounding.

The container ship ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef, off the coast of Mt Maunganui, last October 5.

Seventy one containers were recovered this week, bringing the total to 625.

Another 17 containers have been located but are yet to be recovered.

The salvage team is this week continuing to remove cargo from the refrigerated containers in the bow of the ship, and emptying holds in the stern.

Salvors continue to extract a further 10.3 cubic metres of fuel from the engine room port side slop tank. The amount of residual oil on the wreck remains in the tens of tonnes.

Braemar staff this week continued cleaning up debris at Bowentown, where the sea had churned up latex gloves previously buried in the sand.

The company has surveyed beaches in the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne after reports of possible debris washing ashore.

Clean-up operations and shoreline clean-up assessment team surveys this week have continued on Matakana Island, Papamoa, Motiti Island, Leisure Island, Rabbit Island and the Kulim Park area.