Pacific Forum concerned at nuclear waste ship

The Pacific Island Forum today joined New Zealand in protesting the passage of a ship carrying nuclear waste through the region this month.

According to calculations by the environmental group Greenpeace, the British-operated Pacific Sandpiper should be off New Caledonia today after going through the Tasman Sea this week.

The ship is making a return journey to Japan carrying vitrified nuclear waste - a glasslike substance - that has been reprocessed in France, the 10th such trip in the past decade.

Forum secretary Greg Urwin said the regional grouping of Pacific states was concerned about the ship travelling through their 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zones.

"We welcome the recent assurances from shipping states that they will take all practicable action to assist in the management of any incident in the region, and will co-operate effectively with any state concerned", Urwin said.

"At the same time, we have a real worry about possible economic loss in the event of an incident involving a nuclear shipment, whether or not that incident results in a radioactive release.

"The fragile economies of Forum Island Countries depend heavily on industries involving our ocean, such as fisheries and tourism."

New Zealand's Environment Minister Marian Hobbs last week appealed for the ship to stay out of the country's exclusive economic zone.

But Australia does not consider such shipments to be dangerous and accepts they have the right under international law to travel through the exclusive economic zones of coastal states.

"The waste is in a form that is difficult to disperse hence unattractive as a terrorist target," a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said last week.

"The safety record of maritime transport of such material has been excellent with no incidents leading to release of radiation occurring in thousands of shipments," she said.

The Pacific forum said today international arrangements for liability and compensation did not adequately address the risks posed by the shipments.

"We continue to seek assurances from the shipping states that where there is a demonstrable link between an incident and economic loss, forum members will not be left to carry such a loss unsupported," Urwin said.

- AAP