Fire and Rescue NSW worked with the owner of the vessel to try to stop it from sinking. Photo: Fire and Rescue NSW.
UPDATED 1:30 pm – Some diesel has spilled from a 20-metre commercial fishing trawler which sunk in the Port of Eden earlier this morning (Wednesday 20 April).
The fuel is being contained by a ring of absorbent booms that were deployed by Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW Water Police.
Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said there were thousands of litres of fuel and oil onboard.
“Luckily, before it went under, firefighters with the crew of the vessel secured the liquid in the hull,” he said.
“It’s carrying about 5000 litres of fuel and about 2000 litres of other oil.”
The vessel is currently stable on the seabed with Port Authority leading the initial response to the incident.
It is still unclear how the fishing trawler started to take on water.
“There was some discussion that it could have been due to a mechanical failure, obviously something has gone wrong,” Supt Dewberry said.
The incident is not impacting port operations.
Salvage arrangements are still being organised.
Both the NSW Maritime and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority have been notified.
10:30 am – A fishing trawler carrying 50 tonnes of salmon has sunk in Eden this morning (Wednesday 20 April).
The vessel began taking on water at the middle wharf of the port at around 3:30 am, with emergency services arriving to find it partially submerged.
Members of Fire and Rescue NSW worked with the owner to secure the trawler, but it took on too much water and sunk.
Firefighters and NSW Water Police then deployed 100 metres of absorbent booms around the boat to prevent the spread of fuel.
No injuries were reported.
A plan to salvage the boat is still being investigated.
It is unclear at this stage if the salmon are also able to be salvaged.
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